However, metadata is really useful in some contexts. Say you have a huge collection of scientific data from a particle accelerator, astronomy database, satellite imagery or sensors.
How do you set that up for search?
How do you make it worthwhile for academics to release data like this and get credit as they do for writing a paper?
How do you have provenance for derived data?
How do you set up a unique identifier so the data can be referenced and found as required?
You have data about the data. You have metadata. If you're smart you standardize it and bingo. You have a use for metadata.
https://people.well.com/user/doctorow/metacrap.htm
However, metadata is really useful in some contexts. Say you have a huge collection of scientific data from a particle accelerator, astronomy database, satellite imagery or sensors.
How do you set that up for search?
How do you make it worthwhile for academics to release data like this and get credit as they do for writing a paper?
How do you have provenance for derived data?
How do you set up a unique identifier so the data can be referenced and found as required?
You have data about the data. You have metadata. If you're smart you standardize it and bingo. You have a use for metadata.