Using Tags (My Tag) Vs. Collections

I currently have set-up around 50 rule based collections under Tools - Library - Collections. I am still a little confused though about the advantage of using tags or tagging to create collections (my tag) as opposed to writing rules for collections. For example, why document academic commentaries with a tag when I already have a rule based collection for it. I am sure I am missing a conceptual piece here? Can someone enlighten me please?

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Fred Chapman

Collection rules can be defined based on the fields the program indexes e.g. title, author, type, etc.) Tags can be anything you want. For example you can go through your library and tag every book you have already read and tag them with <read>. You could take that farther and add a tag to the books you have read with additional information about the book, themes, etc. The possibilities are limited only by your own imagination.

The tags can then be used to define collections (e.g. mytag:read) would return all of those books in your library your have read.

Mark Smith

I am sure I am missing a conceptual piece here?

I don't think you are. Tags are fairly easy to set up whereas some rules-based collections are challenging. The trade-off is that your collections are no longer dynamic if you use tags. That is, you have to tag a new resource for it to show up in the collection. Rules-based collections avoid this so a new resource will automatically appear in your collection/collections where it meets the rules.

I have tagged some resources to form collections (Favorite Commentaries, for example) that I otherwise would have had to add one at a time to the collection. That was a time saver for me.

You have flexibility so use it. When it is easier to write a rule, do so. When it is easier to tag, do that. When it is easier to manually drag and drop, do that.