We just launched an update to the MSDN Library.  As part of the release, a new tags control will show up on library documentation with the Community Content feature (currently 1.5 million pages across 7 languages).  There is a page level tagging control right below the topic content and one added to each Community Content block.  You will see this available on the following documentation:

 

In case your new to tagging, here is a brief intro:

 

What are Tags and what is "Tagging"?

Tags are essentially keywords or labels added to an web page that are intended to describe the contents of the page so that it can be more easily retrieved and put in a structure.  Tags are really just a special kind of attribute that help people understand what a given piece of content is about. Generally, when we talk about "tagging" we mean the process of applying tags to content.

For MSDN, tagging helps surface content that might not be easily discovered in the long tail of the Library.  This is especially the case with newly added Community content.  This implementation is unique in that the tags are wikified, meaning they can be added and/or removed by any and all users in the community.  This isn't social bookmarking tagging like on Tagspace or del.icio.us.  Those sites are about keeping your bookmarks or internet favorites for you and then sharing them out.  Tagging in the MSDN Library is about helping content be discovered.  This will help make search more relevant in the long term.  Check out this query -> C# code examples.  How cool is that?

How it works
There are two parts to using tagging on the site. The first is adding tags and the second is browsing the tags on the site:

  1. Add tags to pages or blocks
    • Tagging a page: Navigate to the bottom of the page just above the Community Content header and click "Add a Tag".  Enter a tag or a few that describes the page content and hit "Add". 
    • To tag Community Content: Navigate to the block in Community Content and click "Add a Tag" on the control at the bottom of the block. Enter a tag or two that describes the content and hit "Add".  You can also add\remove tags in the inline editor.
  2. Browse tags to discover content - Click on any tag to see the browse by tags page. This page allows you to define a query based on combinations of different tags from content in the system to refine the results. You can also remove tags as needed to narrow down your result set.

Tag format

  • Multiple tags can be entered at one time. Separate each tag with a space.
  • Double quotes can be used to make phrases, but all is normalized to just one tag before saving.
  • Examples:
    • [aspnet code csharp] becomes three tags: "aspnet", "code", "csharp"
    • [system.xml C# "sql clr"] become three tags: "system.xml", "c#", "sqlclr"  

Who can add tags?

 Adding tags has the same requirements as the Community Content feature:

  • Live ID \ Passport is required
  • If you are new, you will have to set a unique display name and agree to the terms of use

 

Alright, now here are some links to get you started:

 

Cheers,

Clayton, MSDNWiki PM