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November 17, 2006

Life without Metadata

Have you ever thought about what life without metadata would be like? Not the traditional database metadata but retail metadata; the kind of metadata that appears on every product inside Walmart, Kroger, and Publix. Imagine a simple bottle of Bayer aspirin where the metadata includes the manufacturer, ingredients, volume, quantity, instructions, safety warnings, UPC codes, etc. Imagine walking into your local Kroger grocery store and as you enter the store all of the traditional taxonomies have been removed since product classifications are a form of metadata. The isle signage has been removed and replaced with emptiness. The only things you can see are the blank containers designed for the products themselves. Let’s suppose you need a can of soup to go with Saturday’s dinner. You grab a can and begin to shake it in hopes that the weight and movement can provide you some indication of the contents. Is it tomato soup or a can of beans? Perhaps, this is a can of peaches or mixed vegetables. Ok, maybe you’re an experienced shopper who can distinguish between soup and other products; is it chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, or clam chowder? Frustrated, you head over to the dried goods area but your problems don’t seem to fade away. This time you pick up a box which may contain laundry detergent, dish washing cleaner, or cereal. Of course, these uncertainties have little impact as compared to the pharmacy where you may be taking Viagra or Tylenol for your now, splitting headache. Can you imagine any business that would actually run their store in such a manner? Can you imagine any retail environment without the information or information architecture required?

While the retail world cant imagine life without metadata, the technology still remains Oblivious...

Posted by Todd at November 17, 2006 11:52 AM