An Argument for Tagging (original) (raw)

Dear texturizers,

Some of you may have noticed that we have new tags. Some of you maybe never knew we had tags here at all. (That latter fact is becoming more apparent as I continue to leave comments pleading with posters to tag on their own. Ahem.) So, please listen. I want to tell you, briefly as possible, why you should tag and what tags are available here. Here, let's have a short ordered list to discuss.

  1. Why are tags important? Tags make your posts easily searchable. Can I get a show of hands from the members about how many of you actively visit the community and search using the tags? Tags are descriptive, title-driven keywords that will allow members to find your textures and resources and, in the end, get to know you. Tags help foster the community's free-for-all, public domain philosophy. Tagging your post appropriately will cut down on the number of "search" questions. Tagging will also help keep me or helenahandbag from nagging you. It also makes much less work for us in the end, so we can do shinier things like getting around to that layout I keep saying I'm working on.
  2. What tags are available here? Besides the previously established size tags, there is one new size tag (which I'll discuss in a minute) and an umpteen number of new style and color tags.
    Style, Color, and Size Tags Available:
    • !color (color name): Using one of these colors—blue, brown, pink, pastel, red, yellow—negates the option for monochromatic or b&w
    • !style (b&w): Black & white or grayscale textures
    • !style (birds - other shapes): Using shapes; textures featuring the bird shape
    • !style (boxy frames): Box framed areas for images
    • !style (cloud - sky - rainbow): Using cloud or sky images; rainbow-esque shapes or rainbow photos
    • !style (colorful): Using more than one color, able to opt out of specifying a color tag
    • !style (decorative): Using graphic flourishes, or simply flourishes without a texture background
    • !style (floral): Exhibiting flower icons or floral patterns
    • !style (frames): Using lifelike frames
    • !style (gradient): Resembling gradients
    • !style (grunge): Exhibiting worn or aged qualities
    • !style (light): Resembling faded or colored lights
    • !style (lines - plaid): Using repeating lines or plaid patterns
    • !style (monochromatic): Using only one or two colors
    • !style (muted): Referring to a darker version of primary colors
    • !style (nature - photo): Created using real-life photos of nature or other objects
    • !style (newsprint): Mimics newsprint text
    • !style (notebook): Mimics notepaper or journal pages
    • !style (objects): Real-life objects
    • !style (paper): Paper scans or mimicking the quality of paper
    • !style (patterned): Patterns for download, or using patterns other than lines & plaid
    • !style (pixelated): Created using MS Paint, or exhibiting a "Digital" feel
    • !style (polaroid): Scans or created polaroid films
    • !style (retro - vintage): Displaying vintage or retro trends
    • !style (scrapbook): Features many polaroids, or mimics scrapbooking papers
    • !style (scratched): Dusty, scratched textures, often black and white
    • !style (simple): Without ornate flourishes or grungy qualities
    • !style (smokey): Exhibiting smoke plumes or dusty sratches
    • !style (splatters): Blood, ink, and other splatters
    • !style (swirls): Using swirly additions
    • !style (text): Displays handwritten or tiny text
    • !style (vectorized): Akin to swirls, displays vectorized-type, non-floral flourishes
    • !style (woodgrain): Mimics woodgrain or wood as if cut lengthways
    • #frequently asked questions: Policies & policy updates
    • links: Links to outside resources
    • materials (fabric): Materials for creating textures; fabric scans
    • materials (misc/scans): Materials for creating textures; miscellaneous scans
    • materials (patterns): Materials for creating textures; pattern files
    • mod posts: Announcements from the moderators
    • search: Posts searching for a particular type of texture
    • textures (icon sized): Textures; icon sized -- 100x100
    • textures (large sized): Textures; large sized -- over 800x600
    • textures (medium sized): Textures; medium sized -- between 100x100 and 800x600
    • textures (miscellaneous): Textures; specifically, posts containing several sizes
    • tutorials: A member-created guide on how to create certain types of textures

Though most should be self-explanatory, members seemed to have missed the memo regarding the new size tag (it's highly possible I forgot to post about it). To consolidate number of tags on an entry, I created textures (miscellaneous) to indicate a post contains more than one size of textures. If your post contains both large & medium sized textures, for example, use this post. If you are offshore linking to a post containing more than one size textures, regardless of how many previews you do or do not post here, you must use this tag. 3. The "tutorials" tag. Please also note there is now a tag for tutorials on how to make textures or materials. Please only tag your entry if you link to a guide on how to make a texture, and use the style tag to specify what type of texture you are teaching users how to make. Thanks, ennife, for being our first tutorial-poster! 4. Tagging requirements. Please tag every post with at least one size tag and two style tags (for example: textures (icon sized), b&w, monochromatic. Color tags are completely optional, but helpful.

Please let us know if you have any questions. Please tag. Please? I stayed up for about a week straight going back through the backlog and tagging entries with the new style tags. Use them, abuse them, love them is all I ask. I am trying to teach you all how to fish, here, so to speak, and I would really appreciate it if you begin tagging your own entries. Since you all cannot create new tags, please let me know if I missed a style or a color.

Cheers,
Meredith