Is Using a 'Canned' Taxonomy Ever a Good Idea?

01:04 - 19 Apr 2011
Posted at 1:34 by Anonymous

Is Using a 'Canned' Taxonomy Ever a Good Idea?

Taxonomy purists may disapprove, but companies can get a huge head start on building out their own taxonomies by using a pre-built taxonomy.

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The age-old issue of whether or not to “build it yourself” comes down to two things: time and money. I find it’s always helpful to start nearly any project by using an existing template or an example from the past. If someone else has already invented the wheel, why bother doing it again?

For taxonomies in SharePoint 2010, the way to do this is by downloading and importing a free General Business Taxonomy from WAND, Inc. Visit their Data Facet product page, scroll to the bottom and download the taxonomy file. Import it into your SharePoint 2010 Term Store and you'll be instantly running/editing a taxonomy on your site.

This freebie covers Accounting & Finance, HR, IT, Legal, and Marketing; you can easily add, delete, and revise terms for an internal intranet site taxonomy. There are over 500 terms in the starter taxonomy— more than enough to let any company get a head start on using taxonomies for tagging in SharePoint.

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Canned taxonomies are 50% correct

Submitted by Anonymous on 01:04 - 19 Apr 2011.

The problem is you never know which 50%, so you end up doing at least the same amount of effort. Canned taxonomies are good for the 1 or 2 companies that created them and hope you buy their canned taxonomies.....

You're basically correct, but

Submitted by Mike Doane (not verified) on 09:05 - 04 May 2011.

You're basically correct, but one issue we always face with clients who are new to taxonomies is "Where to begin?". By showing a client team an existing taxonomy, like a canned taxonomy, and let them comment/correct as needed, it serves as a catalyst for discussion. And it makes a client feel more productive than starting a taxonomy from scratch. Is it correct for every situation? No. Is it complete "out of the box"? No. But it's a smart way to get a client engaged faster. And, yes, you're correct that the companies that make the taxonomies benefit, but the ones I've used have been very robust, and clients appreciate the depth.