Let you filter down by multiple tag when in tags view

[afuna]

Title:
Let you filter down by multiple tag when in tags view

Area:
tags

Summary:
We have a tag view which lets you view only entries which are tagged with *all* the tags at once: http://exampleusername.dreamwidth.org/tag/tag1,tag2?mode=all

It would be nice to have an easy way to navigate to that view by clicking, rather than needing to memorize the URL arguments or visiting an FAQ to discover the feature.

Description:
We have a way of filtering down to multiple tags at once, but it's not easily discoverable. I suggest that we add additional links to the tag list in the sidebar so that you can click through to filtering by multiple tags.

Right now we have:
* tag1 - [num uses]
* tag2 - [num uses]

When viewing entries tagged with "tag1", clicking on the "tag2" link will bring you to just entries tagged with tag2.

What I suggest is to have an additional link, something like:
* tag1 [+] - [num uses]
* tag2 [+] - [num uses]

So that when viewing entries tagged with "tag1", clicking on "tag2" would still bring you to just entries tagged with tag2. Clicking the [+] beside tag2, however, would bring you to entries that have both the "tag1" and "tag2" tags (which is a new functionality).

There would be no pluses/ no change in behavior when not already viewing a tag.

There would also be no discoverable way to filter to entries that have either one of the "tag1" or "tag2" tags (which is the old functionality for multiple tags), but I feel it would be too much to have two additional links in that area.

Poll #5204 Let you filter down by multiple tag when in tags view

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 55

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
44 (80.0%)

Should be implemented with changes. (please comment)
5 (9.1%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
0 (0.0%)

(I have no opinion)
5 (9.1%)

(Other: please comment)
1 (1.8%)

Comments

[foxfirefey]

There would also be no discoverable way to filter to entries that have either one of the "tag1" or "tag2" tags (which is the old functionality for multiple tags), but I feel it would be too much to have two additional links in that area.

Would there be a way to add a link to the bottom or top of the tags link, saying what mode you are in and to switch it to the other?

[thorfinn]

Sounds like an option, or even just a link to "advanced tag search" screen, so the normal one is uncluttered.

Then you can do proper advanced tag stuff on that screen without needing to worry about user confusion.

[dancing_serpent]

+1

[afuna]

Hmm, that might be workable.

[marahmarie]

I'm confused, but I think I like whatever you're suggesting, so I voted for it. :)

[lassarina]

I'm confused; do you click as many pluses as necessary and then there's a submit button? Or does this only work with the first two you click? (Possibly I've not had enough caffeine yet and this is why I'm a nitwit.)

I like the idea, I'm just confused on implementation/user-facing usage.

[afuna]

I was thinking that you click as many pluses as necessary, and you'd be taken to the more filtered view immediately with each click. You could filter to many tags, though, not just two, but you'd be only adding one additional tag with each click.

There have been suggestions to have a full search interface for tags, which I like the idea of, and that one would work for adding multiple tags at once.

[marahmarie]

Ah, yeah, OK then, I love this idea. Seriously.

[lassarina]

Ahhh! In that case I like this idea very much.

[aedifica]

My "with changes" is yes, I do think we should add a GUI way to use the updated tag filtering (and I think that's already on the list of plans), but I don't think what's described here is the best implementation since it doesn't include the ability to filter with "or". I don't have another option to suggest in its place, but if I think of one later today I'll come back.

Thought of it

[aedifica]

I would prefer to have a link at the top of the tag list saying "Advanced Tag Search" or something along those lines, and have that go to a page where one could do proper Boolean searching, either by having a single long box in which one could type tags separated by "and," "or," "not" (can we do "not"? I don't remember); or else as a series of individual boxes into which one could type the tags, separated by dropdown boxes for the "and" and "or" (and if possible also "not"). This second suggestion would look something like the advanced search page many libraries offer, such as this example from the Hennepin (MN, USA) County Public Library. We wouldn't need the first dropdown field shown there, since we would be searching in tags only, but the rest is similar to what I'm envisioning.

Re: Thought of it

[afuna]

I like this idea! I think it's sufficiently different that it should go into a suggestion on its own so that it doesn't get hidden in the comments here though *G*

I'm not sure that the two are mutually exclusive; I think we could have both the quick link "filter down now" and a link to full search, but I would be happy if we had either.

[turlough]

Wouldn't this work only for those who have the tag module in their sidebar? I would prefer a method that worked for all users.

[matgb]

Most suggestions of how to make tags more navigable are going to depend on the tags actually being displayed.

It could possibly be made to work on entry tags as well, that might actually be more useful.

But how to make it user friendly is something that I think will need iterations and testing.

[turlough]

That it worked with entry tags would be useful, but I think that what I would find really useful would be something that worked from the tags page. Or am I very unusual in using that page extensively, both in my own journal and in others?

[matgb]

Heh, I have no idea. I rarely use mine, and never look on anyone else's, if I want to see a tag cloud I tend to style=mine instead.

Which is probably why I keep forgetting to go file the support request to figure out what's going on with the display of mine. I rpobably ought to figure out if it happens on other styles or wheter I've borked it first though.

I think this is actually doable already in S2, but it's slightly beyond my ability as yet, so it'll be a lower priority in my ongoing quest to make the perfect layout.

[afuna]

It would, yes, but I don't think that the two are mutually exclusive. That is, I think we can implement this so it would work for people with a tags sidebar who are viewing a tag, and we could also have a GUI interface either on the /tag/ page itself, or linked from there. I think that a full interface is different enough that it's a separate suggestion of its own.

[deborah]

Why don't we change tag browsing to a more common faceted browsing engine? People are used to these from Target, Best Buy, etc. I know there's open source options that we could plug in.

Faceted browsing allows people who aren't comfortable with the concept of search limiters to easily see how they're limiting and unlimiting searches.

Since I'm currently redesigning a digital library user interface to use faceted browsing, I'm happy going into more detail about it if anyone wants.

[afuna]

Belatedly, I'd love to hear more about it. (How scalable is it? How easy to switch over or adapt Sphinx, which is what we're using?)

[elizabeth_rice]

It says this has been implemented but I don't know how it works. Can someone please explain it to me? Thanks.

[afuna]

Hi!

It's done using this format:

[1]http://username.dreamwidth.org/tag/tag1,tag2?mode=and

There's another example in [2]http://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse?faqid=23 -- but let me know if you're still having trouble!

[elizabeth_rice]

Thanks so much! But, damn, I think I should re-think the length of my fandom-related tags. :/