What counts as "creating" a tag, for Taxonomist? And what prevents gaming the badge?

Question

The description for the Taxonomist badge is: "Created a tag used by 50 questions." This leads me to a few questions.

Consider the following scenario:

1. Alice creates a question that is tagged with aardvark. This is the first-ever question in the system tagged aardvark.
2. After a few days, Alice (or someone else) decides this tag isn't relevant, so it is removed.
3. After a while, Bob creates a question that is tagged aardvark.
4. This time, the tag sticks, and eventually forty-nine more questions are tagged aardvark.

This raises the questions:

• Which user gets the Taxonomist badge, Alice or Bob?
  • Alice was the first person to ever use the aardvark tag.
  • When Bob used the tag, he seemed to be "creating" the tag (since it didn't exist beforehand).
• If Bob gets the credit, what if he was the one who removed the tag from Alice's post in step 2? In that case, he would be effectively stealing the badge from Alice.

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Some other questions about gaming the system to get this badge:

• Do the tags have to stick for a certain amount of time before the badge is awarded?
• Do the questions have to be tagged by a certain number of users?
• Could I simply go in at an off-peak hour and retag fifty questions to get the badge, then undo my changes before anyone gets mad?
  • Is anyone willing to admit that they tried this?
  • If so, were you able to get the badge this way?

Answer 1

I've wanted to find out who created which tags for awhile now to help aid me in other useful statistics, so I created an algorithm to determine who created which tag.

I've only run it on about 100 tags so far because the Taxonomist badge was released late in the game and later tags require a somewhat different method. It seems to be reasonably accurate but cannot account for deleted posts or chain editing.

So far it doesn't appear as if anyone is gaming the system, but most of the tags so far are very common (c#, java, c, etc). I'll see how things stand when I get to some of the newer tags.

A somewhat prettier version can be found here. The user for asp.net has created quite a few posts, but in defense it is a very popular tag. I know of a few tags that have been started in deleted posts, but I can't find the original owner. Python was created in such a manner.

Tag: c#| User: 8| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: web-services| User: 2| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: linq| User: 2| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: .net3.5| User: 2| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: database| User: 2| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: mysql| User: 2| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: sqlserver| User: 32| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: query| User: 2| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: language-agnostic| User: 13| Edits/Posts Before By User: 3| Edits/Posts After By User: 2
Tag: performance| User: 13| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: algorithm| User: 13| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: unix| User: 13| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: pi| User: 13| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 7
Tag: fun| User: 92| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: linux| User: 61| Edits/Posts Before By User: 3| Edits/Posts After By User: 3
Tag: vb.net| User: 33| Edits/Posts Before By User: 5| Edits/Posts After By User: 4
Tag: .net| User: 2| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: sql| User: 2| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: books| User: 52| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: memory| User: 39| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: web| User: 2| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: winforms| User: 231| Edits/Posts Before By User: 4| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: php| User: 48| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: com| User: 39| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: unit-testing| User: 157| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: asp.net| User: 83| Edits/Posts Before By User: 17| Edits/Posts After By User: 34
Tag: html| User: 9| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: ruby| User: 25| Edits/Posts Before By User: 11| Edits/Posts After By User: 4
Tag: web-development| User: 117| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: css| User: 9| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: text| User: 34| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: svn| User: 58| Edits/Posts Before By User: 5| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: version-control| User: 83| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: subjective| User: 92| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: development| User: 117| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: tools| User: 154| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: beginner| User: 8| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: security| User: 59| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: rsi| User: 9| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: best-practices| User: 105| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: mac| User: 147| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: python| User: 111| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: eclipse| User: 58| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: java| User: 78| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: oop| User: 58| Edits/Posts Before By User: 4| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: design| User: 63| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 2
Tag: xml| User: 78| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: c++| User: 23| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: c| User: 8| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: stack| User: 322| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: windows| User: 72| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: javascript| User: 238| Edits/Posts Before By User: 3| Edits/Posts After By User: 2
Tag: regex| User: 230| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: email| User: 49| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: flash| User: 231| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: files| User: 50| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: http| User: 136| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: vb| User: 33| Edits/Posts Before By User: 5| Edits/Posts After By User: 4
Tag: asp.net-mvc| User: 364| Edits/Posts Before By User: 9| Edits/Posts After By User: 9
Tag: ajax| User: 331| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: linqtosql| User: 51| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 4
Tag: visualstudio| User: 91| Edits/Posts Before By User: 3| Edits/Posts After By User: 7
Tag: deployment| User: 91| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 3
Tag: iis| User: 192| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: hardware| User: 556| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: sharepoint| User: 404| Edits/Posts Before By User: 3| Edits/Posts After By User: 22
Tag: ide| User: 123| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 2
Tag: wpf| User: 93| Edits/Posts Before By User: 9| Edits/Posts After By User: 3
Tag: oracle| User: 116| Edits/Posts Before By User: 8| Edits/Posts After By User: 20
Tag: browser| User: 9| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: threading| User: 257| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: search| User: 134| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: language| User: 13| Edits/Posts Before By User: 3| Edits/Posts After By User: 3
Tag: software| User: 290| Edits/Posts Before By User: 9| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: open-source| User: 199| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: shell| User: 117| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: rails| User: 136| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 3
Tag: osx| User: 137| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: gui| User: 123| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: api| User: 172| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: applications| User: 145| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: string| User: 115| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: testing| User: 157| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: orm| User: 13| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 2
Tag: exceptions| User: 233| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: learning| User: 573| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: e| User: 8| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: google| User: 308| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: mvc| User: 364| Edits/Posts Before By User: 9| Edits/Posts After By User: 9
Tag: forms| User: 103| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: jquery| User: 648| Edits/Posts Before By User: 3| Edits/Posts After By User: 6
Tag: programming| User: 4| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: flex| User: 0| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1297| Edits/Posts After By User: 60
Tag: coding| User: 15| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: ui| User: 117| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: visualstudio2008| User: 417| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 1
Tag: io| User: 9| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: gem| User: 91| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: patterns| User: 358| Edits/Posts Before By User: 2| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: r| User: 8| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 0
Tag: post| User: 15| Edits/Posts Before By User: 1| Edits/Posts After By User: 2

Some possible edge cases exist in the algorithm which I'll fix shortly, this is more a proof of concept.

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Edit: Further info copied from a comment above:

Tags are created once, by the first person to ever use them. Even if that tag is deleted before it is used again, it has been created by the first user. Tags have to be active for a certain amount of time to stick (from what I can tell only 20-75 minutes, but some time nonetheless). Tags don't have to be used by a minimum amount of users (unless its a very small amount, but can't be inferred if it is).

Answer 2

In my opinion Taxonomist is the badge the most people have talked about gaming the system to get. And really, that's probably about the only way most of us could hope to achieve it any more. I'd just as soon see it disappear completely.

Answer 3

I retagged 59 questions originally tagged 'gps' with a new tag, 'telematics' and got awarded the badge the next day after the retagging. A topic was opened here on MetaSO concerning the issue, and for this abuse, my account was temporarily suspended for five days and the new tag got removed, as it was considered irrelevant and synonymous with 'gps'.

Answer 4

Some 'game' could be played with Woot! (visit every day for 30 days) and Fanatic (visit every day for 100 days), Civic duty (vote 300 times) and Disciplined (delete your +3 voted post), Citizen Patrol (first flag), Shrunk and White (edit 100 entries). You just mindlessly do the required operations and you get them. Its easy to avoid the retag game. Retagging should not count to this badge.

Edit:

I see one possibility for taxonomist: create 50 questions about a good but neglected topic on SO. My brainchild: fork-join in java/concurrency subtopic (its neighbor, CCR is already taken).

I'm not sure if you do them in a community wiki format, you'd still get the badge? Would be a useful game - for the learning community and for the tag creator.

Edit2:

Or better yet, find 50 existing concurrency question about a problem very close to fork-join and retag them.

Answer 5

Since tags are meta data, would it really be out of bounds for me to tag (add meta data) 50 questions with taxonomist-tag-for-me to 50 questions listed on this meta site?

I could do it and see how long it takes for someone to notice :)

Answer 6

Agreed that this is the most likely and possible badge to "game". If I had to guess, I would expect you would at least initially be awarded the badge by going through and retagging 50 questions to a new tag and then undoing it. I wouldn't expect their to be real-time logic looking for this type of behavior. However, I would be surprised if someone were able to "game" the system in this way for long. I expect quickly someone would see you received the taxonomist badge and try to figure out how you did it. Honestly, I think of all the badges that exist, its the one I would be most likely to remove if I have the chance. In general I believe the badges do a good job of encouraging desired behavior. However, in this case, I'm not sure what type of desired behavior this would be encouraging?

To answer the first part of question. Someone who can view the code would have to give a definitive answer, but I would hope and expect that Bob would receive the badge.

Answer 7

I hope Jeff doesn't ban me for this.

Ok, I'll fess up! I created the Ubuntu-9.04 tag on Serverfault. I haven't got the badge yet but I check on it once in a while. I also tag any questions that are related to Ubuntu with the Ubuntu-9.04 instead of just the regular Ubuntu tag. However, I haven't went so far as to retag other people's question (that actually does cross the line IMO).

Does that make me a bad person? Am I a cheater? Maybe.

But you know what they say, If your not cheating your not trying. They also say cheaters never win.

If you do ban me I'll still read your blog.

Answer 8

I see a lot of people worried about gaming badges, ESPECIALLY the taxonomist badge. But I thought about it, and it is certainly NOT the easiest badge to game.

Just looking at silver badges alone, the Civic Duty, and Strunk and White should be the easiest. Just start voting randomly on a bunch of questions and answers... or click edit on every new question you see and add something like capitalizing sentences, or just whitespace.

The yearling badge would be the easiest silver badge to get, but I don't think that can be gamed.

So the question should be, how could you make a tagging incentive badge that couldn't be gamed?

Answer 9

I'm not sure if it would be considered gaming this badge, but synonyms seem to be a good way to work towards this badge. For example take a look at user Kris on Server Fault. He only has one reputation, asked only one question tagged with both "mac" and "macosx." These two terms seem to be used synonymously, at least in the context of his question.