Flickr and Tagging

Tagging... essential to Flickr... yes. It is the way that images are sorted and grouped. It is the way that new communities of images/users are formed endlessly throughout each day. It creates an environment of transient meaningfulness. My thought is that tagging can help users find WAY more images with a particular tag than they can ever view, but it can also open up a world the user may not want to be exposed to. For instance, if you search "pain" on Flickr, you will be shown images ranging from IV medication delivery systems to French pastries to a raccoon-eyed woman with a gun laid upon her cheek. You may just want to see French pastries. While I don't find this dangerous or offensive, others might.