Annotation
From P2P-Fusion
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Annotation is a tool to describe file segments and add metadata to these segments.
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Description
Annotation is used for adding information to documents, images, videos and webpages. Annotations appear on a layer top of the original content, so it doesn't modify the file, just adds metadata to it. The most popular tools are sticky notes for documents and webpages, and markers for images and videos. It is a more flexible tool than tagging, as it allows the selection of specific parts from a resource.
On the other hand, it expects lot of work from the user, as he/she has to add the exact position and the description too, which is obviously harder than tagging.
Data
Input
Annotations are usually tags or short textual descriptions associated with a certain part in the document or certain areas in the image or video. This data is usually generated by the user, but there is some research effort on automatically localizing specific objects on pictures.
Storage
We need to store information about the point or area and the textual information provided by the user. As it should be just a few bytes, it can be stored in a decentralized way.
Output
Output is presented on a top layer above the document, image or video in form of sticky notes, bordered areas or markers.
Management
Interface
The annotation shouldn't hide the original content, so it should be movable with drag and drop and transparent when not used.
Technical aspects
Creating additional layers above the content can be difficult for graphical drivers in case of many layers, but there shouldn't be any more technical limitations. Popular matadata formats are now starting to include annotation as an option. For example, the MPEG-7 and Quicktime standards support annotation.
Social aspects
Annotation data is different from tags in the sense that it cannot be aggregated in a simple format like tagclouds. Hence, annotations can include great pieces of information, but it doesn't produce a simply understandable description of the content item, like ratings and tags do. The main source of incentive can be to popularize the item and to organize for own use. Trolling can be a big problem as fake annotations are as equal as real ones and aggregation cannot hide them.
Existing examples
- Adobe Acrobat can assign sticky notes to certain points in the document and display it in PDF readers like a comment.
- Mojiti can add virtually any types of annotation on a top layer on videos. Comment boxes, handwriting and drawing, RSS feeds in the bottom and even audio and video commentaries in the top corners.
- BubblePly can add subtitle, speech bubbles, think bubbles and comments to videos.
- Click.tv hides annotations by default, but a timeline pops up as an overlay when the mouse is over the video. Annotation works in a collaborative way, everyone can add his text and it is presented in a new personal timeline.
Prevalence
It's very useful for subtitling and marking main topics in long audio and video files, but it is rarely used in online communities.
P2P file sharing examples
Application in Fusion
Annotation can be a great tool for creating subtitles in a collaborative way. Other uses might be possible, but we cannot foresee what kind of other applications would be used, as annotation is not popular on the web either.
For audio/video files
In P2P systems
In Fusion
Groups creating documentaries can use annotation to share subtitling work, even with translators outside the group.
Communities
Related tools
tags - annotation used for a whole item, not just parts of it
