But, seriously...

• Yes, metadata is important

  • If you'd like to argue differently, please e-mail me, and I'll set you straight.

  • If you're not even sure what metadata is, try this link for a simple introduction.

• Yes, you want to do metadata, but:

  • Your workload is already at 110% capacity

  • Before you can even create metadata, you have the hurdle of first learning the standard

Why a Standard?

• We all create metadata informally, as notes or reports

• We all use data that we didn't create

• When you're trying to use someone else's data, which is easier to interpret, informal notes, a voluminous report, or a formal standard?

  • Use Microsoft as an example. It used to be that you never knew what software would be on any given computer... Wordstar, WriteNow, WordPerfect, Word... Maybe you got familiar with using your favorite word processor, but if you had to use another person's machine, there'd be no guarantee that the software you were familiar with was on it. Now Microsoft Word is on almost every PC. If you take the time to learn this one piece of software, you can use it anywhere, and anyone else can use your documents, as well.

• Like any powerful tool, the metadata standard requires some time and effort to learn, but it is a worth-while investment in the long run.