- About
What is communities of practice for local government?
Communities of practice for local government is a website that supports collaboration across local government and the public sector. It is a freely accessible resource that enables like-minded people to form online communities of practice, which are supported by collaboration tools that encourage knowledge sharing and learning from each others’ experiences.
A Community of Practice (CoP) is a network of individuals with common problems or interests who get together and explore ways of working to identify common solutions and share good practice and ideas, typically around a specific area of knowledge.
This service is provided by the Improvement and Development Agency for local government and a partnership is in place with the Improvement Service for local government in Scotland.
What are the benefits?
CoP benefits lie predominantly in providing a platform that connects people, and relates to the individual, their organisation, and the community itself through:
- encouraging the development and sharing of new ideas and strategies
- supporting faster problem-solving
- cutting down on the duplication of effort
- providing potentially endless access to expertise
What browsers does Communities of practice for local government support?
www.communities.idea.gov.uk runs best on the following browsers:
- Internet Explorer 6
- Firefox 2
Although you're welcome to use communities of practice for local government with a browser that is not in this list, we cannot guarantee that all of our features will work correctly.
- Accounts
How do I register?
To register click on the "Register" button and become a community of practice member today and follow the simple steps to set up your profile.
How do I sign in?
Enter your e-mail address and password in the "Are you already registered?" section and click "Sign in".
How can I change my profile, password or email address?
Go to www.communities.idea.gov.uk and sign in.
Click the "My profile" link in the top right-hand corner of the screen, then "Edit my profile". Here you will be able to change your personal details including your profile, password and email address. Once relevant changes have been made click "Save changes” at the bottom of the page.
How do I change my profile photo?
Go to www.communities.idea.gov.uk and sign in.
Click the "My profile" link in the top right-hand corner of the screen, then "Edit my profile". Click the "Browse" button under the “Your photograph” field to locate an image on your computer. When you upload a new photo, the old one will be deleted. Click "Save changes” at the bottom of the page.
What do I do if I've forgotten my password?
If you've forgotten your password, go to the sign in page and enter your email address and what you believe could be your password. You will be taken to another page where you can click "Forgot your password?" You'll be asked for your email address. You'll be sent an email with a password reminder.
Alternatively you can use this link:
http://www.communities.idea.gov.uk/reg/forgot-password.do
If you've done this a few times and have not received the password reminder or receive an error with the email address, please email communities@idea.gov.uk.
How do I log out?
Click on the “Logout” link in the top right-hand corner of the screen. This will log you out of www.communities.idea.gov.uk and take you back to the sign in page.
How can I delete my profile from www.communities.idea.gov.uk?
If you no longer want to belong to www.communites.idea.gov.uk supported by IDeA, please email communities@idea.gov.uk
- Communities
Can I search for communities?
Click “All Communities” at the top of the page, and you will be taken to a list of all communities currently running. By entering a search term within this community list page all communities with this term will be retrieved. Alternatively, you can click “Find a community” under "Tools" on your overview page once you have logged in.
How do I join a community?
Having searched for the community you would like to join (see above) click “Apply to join” or “Join” for the community you wish to be a member of. “Apply to join” indicates that it is a private community and facilitators of the community will have to approve your application.
How can I participate in a community discussion? Do I have to be a member of the community?
To participate in a community’s discussion, you have to be a member of that community. Once you are a member, click the "Start new topic" link to start a thread, or simply reply to an existing thread.
How many communities can I join?
As many as you like, join away!
How do I leave a community?
Go to www.communities.idea.gov.uk and sign in.
Click “My Communities”, tick the box next to the community you wish to leave and click “Leave selected” under tools on the right side of the screen. You will be instantly removed as a member of the community.
- How do I create a new community?
To create a new community, you must be signed in as a member of www.communities.idea.gov.uk, and for a new community to be eligible on the CoP collaboration platform, your community must fit into one of the following categories:
- expert groups or not-for-profit organisations with expertise in specific areas relevant to the improvement of services provided by local government in the United Kingdom
- national or regional networks / community organisations with membership around a specialist area relevant to the improvement of services provided by local government in the United Kingdom
- a community created specifically to achieve particular short-term goals related to the improvement of services provided by local government in the United Kingdom
- a recognised public sector e-mail address in the United Kingdom
- a consultant currently working for Local Authorities in the United Kingdom who have public indemnity insurance
- anyone in the public, private or voluntary sector in the United Kingdom who has been approved by the Community of Practice facilitator.
If you meet the approved criteria and are based in England and Wales and want to set up a new community please email communities@idea.gov.uk
If you are based in Scotland please email communities@improvementservice.org.uk
What are my responsibilities in setting up and running a Community of Practice?
All communities require good, active facilitation and management by a team of facilitators. Facilitators network and connect community members by identifying the needs of the community, encouraging participation, facilitating and seeding discussions, and by keeping events and community activities engaging and vibrant. Some of the key responsibilities include:
- energising the community and serving as chief motivator
- identifying the community needs
- accepting and welcoming new community members
- encouraging participation in community events, discussions and activities
- working to keep online discussions engaging, flowing, and vibrant
- injecting insightful comments and making provocative points in online discussions
- providing closure when necessary and giving constructive feedback
- capturing knowledge nuggets
- working to network community members with Topical Experts
What are the key skills and attributes that facilitators require?
Personal attributes include having:
- creativity and being innovative
- good networking skills and enthusiasm
- the ability to motivate and engage community members
- a highly proactive, responsive, trustworthy, collaborative and cooperative nature
Skills required include:
- experience (or willingness to learn) in online or face-to-face facilitation techniques for communities, teams or groups
- good interpersonal and communications skills
- proficiency and experience in online or face-to- face collaboration tools, software and technology or at the least, a willingness and enthusiasm to learn
- Forums
What is a forum?
Forums are great for having discussions with other members of your community. They are probably the easiest way for new members to get involved too. An example of a forum post might be to draw community members to a certain document or news item, and ask for everyone’s views on the subject.
How can I start a forum discussion?
To start a thread, click the Forum tab and then the "Start new topic" link
What is the text box (WYSIWYG)?
WYSIWYG, an acronym for What You See Is What You Get, is an editor that allows you to create formatted content that looks the same when you're editing it and when you publish it. The WYSIWYG editor is the toolbar you see at the top of the box when you edit the text.
The WYSIWYG includes:
- bold
- italics
- underline
- bullet points
- insert/edit image
- insert/edit link
- unlink
- insert/edit flash movie
- undo
- redo
Can I edit my forum posting?
Yes! To edit, click on the discussion where you have made a posting. Locate the "Edit" link next to your name and click. You will now be able to amend your posting.
How do I add a hyperlink?
To make text into a hyperlink link, highlight the text and click the "Insert / edit link" icon in the toolbar. This button looks like a chain link. In the box that pops up, type the URL you want the text to link to. Once you click “Insert” anyone can use the link.
How do I add an image?
You can insert an image by clicking the "Insert/edit image" button in the toolbar. This button looks like a tree. A window will pop up prompting you to select a photo from your computer to upload. Once you've found the image you want, click the "Insert" button. This will insert the image.
How do I attach a file to my forum post?
To attach a file to a discussion, click the "Browse" button at the bottom of the text box. To attach a file to a discussion, browse your computer for the file you want and click "Open". Alternately you can upload the document into document library area and use the hyperlink option.
Can I embed videos from YouTube into a forum post?
Absolutely! Click on the "Insert/edit flash" button within the forum you wish to add the YouTube video to. A pop up will appear where you can paste the YouTube video web address then click "insert" to embed to the video into the text box.
Can I delete a reply I've made to a forum post?
No, you can edit your reply to a discussion at any time by clicking the "Edit" next to post you made.
Can I sort forum posts?
You can sort your forum posts by "Most current", "A-Z," or "My topics" under your Forum tab.
What are tags?
Tags are a great way to categorise all items in a community, ie forums, events, documents, wikis and blogs by their content.
Tags are one-word descriptors that you can assign to community items to help you organise and remember them.
Tags are similar to keywords, but they're chosen by you, and they do not form a hierarchy. You can assign as many tags to an item as you like. So, tagging can be a lot easier and more flexible than fitting your items into preconceived categories or folders. Tags are used to form a tag-cloud, which gives a visual indication of the type of information in the community.
- Events
What is the events area?
The Event calendar is a place for you to share and publish events. The idea is to create a comprehensive directory of all the conferences, seminars, workshops and courses coming up which are relevant to the community.
How can I post a new event?
To post a new event to a community, click on the Event tab and then on the "Add new event" link.
What is the enter description box (WYSIWYG)?
WYSIWYG, an acronym for What You See Is What You Get, is an editor that allows you to create formatted content that looks the same when you're editing it and when you publish it. The WYSIWYG editor is the toolbar you see at the top of the box when you edit the text
The WYSIWYG includes:
- bold
- italics
- underline
- bullet points
- insert/edit image
- insert/edit link
- unlink
- insert/edit flash movie
- undo
- redo
Can I edit my event posting?
Yes! To edit, click on the Event posting. Locate the "Edit this event" link. You will now be able to edit the Event posting.
How do I add a hyperlink?
To make text into a hyperlink link, highlight the text and click the "Insert / edit link" icon in the toolbar. This button looks like a chain link . In the box that pops up, type the URL you want the text to link to. Once you click “Insert” anyone can use the link.
How do I add an image?
You can insert an image by clicking the "Insert/edit image" button in the toolbar. This button looks like a tree. A window will pop up prompting you to select a photo from your computer to upload. Once you've found the image you want, click the "Insert" button. This will insert the image
Can I delete my event posting?
Yes! To delete, click on the Event posting. Locate the "Delete this event" link. Your event posting will now be deleted.
How do I attach a file to my event posting?
You are unable to attach a file to an Event posting but you are able to hyper link to documents. Place the document(s) in the Document library. You will then be able to insert a link, highlight the text you want to be linked and click the "Insert / edit link" icon in the toolbar. This button looks like a chain link . In the box that pops up, click on the tab called document and selected the radio button next to the document you want the text to link to. Once you click “Insert” anyone can use the link.
- Members
How can I see all the members of a community?
Once you are logged in to the community click on the members tab and this will show you all the members of the community. You can sort the membership by A-Z, Latest members or Role.
Can I send messages to members of the community?
Yes, any member of the community can send a message to other members of the community. Go to the Members section and click on the name of the member you wish to send a message to. Click "Send message”, type you message, and then click "Send message".
Can I see community members' profiles?
Yes you can. Click the members tab and this will show you all the members of the community. Click the name of the member you wish to view. You can now see their profile and a list of the communities they are a member of.
- Documents
What is a document library?
The document library is a collection of documents shared by community members. Any member of the community can add a document.
How can I add a new document?
To add a new document to a community, click the "Documents" tab and then the "Add new document" link. Add a "Document title" and a "Document description/accompanying notes":
To Upload the document, click the "Browse" button. To attach the file browse your computer for the file you want and click "Open". Then click "Submit document".
What file formats can be used in the document library?- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Window Media Audio
- Windows Media Video
- Portable Document Format (PDF)
- Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)
- Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
- MP3
- WAV Waveform audio format
Please note that the maximum size of any upload is 25 megabytes
How do I rate and comment on a document?
If you see a very useful - or not very useful document, let people know by rating it!
Click on the document you wish to rate and using the radio buttons select from 1 (not very useful) to 5 (very useful). Then add a comment in the comment box before clicking "Submit Comment".
Your rating remains anonymous, so you can be honest.
How do I see the average rating for a document?
When you click on the document tab in your community a list of the latest documents will appear. You will then see the average rating for the document on the right hand side under Rating. To view the number of members that have rated the document click on the document and it will tell you the number of members who have rated the document.
Can I delete my document?
Yes! To delete, click on your document posting. Locate the "Delete this document" link . Your document will now be deleted.
Can I edit my document?
Yes! To edit, click on your document posting. Locate the "Edit this document" link. You will now be able to edit the document or replace the original document.
What are tags?
Tags are a great way to categorise forums, events, documents, wiki’s and blogs by their content.
Tags are one-word descriptors that you can assign to community items to help you organise and remember them. Tags are a little bit like keywords, but they're chosen by you, and they do not form a hierarchy.
You can assign as many tags to an item as you like and rename or delete the tags later. So, tagging can be a lot easier and more flexible than fitting your items into preconceived categories or folders. Tags are used to form a tag-cloud, which gives a visual indication of the type of information in the community.
- Wiki
What is a wiki?
Wikis are web pages which anyone can edit. This means that any visitor to the wiki can change, update and add to its content if they desire. Wikis are good for using other people's knowledge and experience to help develop an idea or a piece of work.
How can I add a new wiki?
To create a new Wiki, click the Wiki tab and then the "Add new wiki entry" link
What is the text box (WYSIWYG)?
WYSIWYG, an acronym for What You See Is What You Get, is an editor that allows you to create formatted content that looks the same when you're editing it and when you publish it. The WYSIWYG editor is the toolbar you see at the top of the box when you edit the text.
The WYSIWYG includes:
- bold
- italics
- underline
- bullet points
- insert/edit image
- insert/edit link
- unlink
- insert/edit flash movie
- undo
- redo
How do I add to a wiki entry?
Click the wiki entry you wish to add to. Locate the "Edit this entry" link. You will now be able to edit the Wiki entry. Click save and continue when you have finished
How do I add a hyperlink?
To make text into a hyperlink link, highlight the text and click the "Insert / edit link" icon in the toolbar. This button looks like a chain link. In the box that pops up, type the URL you want the text to link to. Once you click “insert” anyone can use the link.
How do I add an image?
You can insert an image by clicking the "Insert/edit image" button in the toolbar. This button looks like a tree. A window will pop up prompting you to select a photo from your computer to upload. Once you've found the image you want, click the "Insert" button. This will insert the image.
Can I embed videos from YouTube into a wiki?
Absolutely! Click on the "Insert/edit flash" button within the wiki you wish to add the YouTube video to. A pop up will appear where you can paste the YouTube video web address then click "Insert" to embed to the video into the text box.
How do I attach a file to my wiki entry?
You are unable to attach a file to an wiki entry but you are able to hyper link to the document. Place the document in the Document library. You will then be able to insert a link, highlight the text you want to be linked and click the "Insert / edit link" icon in the toolbar. This button looks like a chain link . In the box that pops up, click on the tab called document and selected the radio button next to the document you want the text to link to. Once you click “Insert” anyone can use the link.
What are tags?
Tags are a great way to categorise forums, events, documents, wiki’s and blogs by their content.
Tags are one-word descriptors that you can assign to community items to help you organise and remember them.
Tags are a little bit like keywords, but they're chosen by you, and they do not form a hierarchy. You can assign as many tags to an item as you like. So, tagging can be a lot easier and more flexible than fitting your items into preconceived categories or folders. Tags are used to form a tag-cloud, which gives a visual indication of the type of information in the community.
- Blogs
What is a blog?
A blog (also known as a web log) is an online journal reflecting the thoughts and activities of a community member on a web page. This form of web publishing has become an established communications tool, and is simple to create and use. A member normally updates their web page regularly with new things they've seen, read about, or heard of. Each item is presented in reverse chronological order, with the latest at the top.
Do I have a blog? Where is it?
Of course! Every member of communities of practice for local government has his or her own blog. To get to your blog, click the My Home tab. Find the "My Blog" box in the middle column of the page.
You can add a blog post by clicking on the "Add a new entry!" link. Once you write the first entry in your blog you can select which of your communities your blog is to appear in.
What is the text box (WYSIWYG)?
WYSIWYG, an acronym for What You See Is What You Get, is an editor that allows you to create formatted content that looks the same when you're editing it and when you publish it. The WYSIWYG editor is the toolbar you see at the top of the box when you edit the text.
The WYSIWYG includes:
- Bold
- Italics
- Underline
- Bullet points
- Insert/edit image
- Insert/edit link
- Unlink
- Insert/edit flash movie
- Undo
- Redo
How can I see someone else's blog?
To view someone else's blog click the People finder and find the person who's blog you wish to read.
Once you have found the person click thr "View Blog" link on the right side of the screen under Tools to view the blog.
Can I edit a blog post after it has been published?
Yes, you can edit your blog entry after you've posted it! Click the My Home tab. Find the "My Blog" box in the middle column of the page. Find the blog posting and Click "Edit this entry" next to the post you want to change. This will bring you to a screen where you can make tweaks to your post.
How do I add a hyperlink?
To make text into a hyperlink link, highlight the text and click the "Insert / edit link" icon in the toolbar. This button looks like a chain link. In the box that pops up, type the URL you want the text to link to. Once you click “insert” anyone can use the link.
How do I add an image?
You can insert an image by clicking the "Insert/edit image" button in the toolbar. This button looks like a tree. A window will pop up prompting you to select a photo from your computer to upload. Once you've found the image you want, click the "Insert" button. This will insert the image.
Can I embed videos from YouTube into a blog?
Absolutely! Click on the Insert/edit flash movie within the blog you wish to add the YouTube video to. A pop up will appear where you can paste the YouTube video web address then click insert to embed to the video into the text box.
How can I comment on someone else's blog post?
Anyone who is logged into communities of practice for local government can comment on blog posts by typing comments in the "Add a comment box" or by clicking "Add comment".
How can I tell who wrote a blog post?
The blogger's name appears as "by" under the entry
How do I see all of my old blog posts?
To see all of the blog posts you've written, click the My Home tab. Find the "My Blog" box in the middle column of the page. And use the page numbers at the bottom of the screen to link through.
How do I report an offensive blog post?
Click "Feedback," which appears as a link at the bottom of every page. Detail the offensive blog and “Submit feedback. This will alert the Community facilitators to the issue.
What are tags?
Tags are a great way to categorise forums, events, documents, wiki’s and blogs by their content.
Tags are one-word descriptors that you can assign to community items to help you organise and remember them. Tags are a little bit like keywords, but they're chosen by you, and they do not form a hierarchy.
You can assign as many tags to an item as you like and rename or delete the tags later. So, tagging can be a lot easier and more flexible than fitting your items into preconceived categories or folders. Tags are used to form a tag-cloud, which gives a visual indication of the type of information in the community.
- RSS News feeds
What is the News feeds tab for?
Each community has the option to have a News feed based on RSS (Really simple syndication). News feeds allow you to see the latest headlines from the websites relevant to your community - in one place as soon as its published, and without you having to visit the websites individually.
If you cannot see the News feed within your community please contact one of your community facilitators to turn it on.
- Search
What is the People Finder?
The People Finder is a search facility accessible by all members to search for other people registered on the www.communities.idea.gov.uk. You can search by name, job title, keywords, region, or area of expertise.
To search for a peer click on the "People Finder" at the top right of your screen and select the criteria you wish to search on.
How do I search for a community?
Click “All Communities” at the top of the page, and you will be taken to a list of all communities currently running. Type your search criteria and click "Go". The results of all the communities with your search criteria will be listed. Alternatively, you can click “Find a community” under "Tools" on your overview page once you have logged in.
How do I search within a community?
Type your search criteria into the "search this community" box on the right-hand side of your community (please note you are unable to search by author name). The search results from your community will be listed.
You will also be able to see which other communities match your search criteria. To view, click "Results in all communities". You can view the results for the communities you are a member of, and will have to join the ones you are not a member of to see the results.
What is personalised community web search?
All Communities of Practice have a facility for creating a personalised community list of websites that enable more focused and relevant search results to be returned for their particular domain of interest. Members have the ability to select or deselect any of the web sites in the community list for each web search query they submit, providing greater control over the number and relevance of results returned.
If you unable to see the personalised community search please contact one of you community facilitators to switch the function on.
- Alerts
Can I receive email alerts on latest forum postings in a community?
Yes. Go to the Forum within the community you wish to receive an email alert on. And click "Subscribe for email alerts for this forum" under Forum tools and select "Email alert frequency" from daily email notification, weekly email notification or immediate email notification, and click "Subscribe".
Alternatively, you can subscribe to email alerts for individual threads.
Can I receive email alerts on latest events postings in a community?
Yes. Go to that Events calendar within the community you wish to receive an email alert on. And click "Subscribe for email alerts on new events" under Event tools, and select Email alert frequency from daily email notification, weekly email notification or immediate email notification, and click "Subscribe".
Can I receive email alerts on latest documents postings in a community?
Yes. Go to the Documents library within the community you wish to receive an email alert on. And click on "Subscribe for email alerts for this document library" under Tools, and select Email alert frequency from daily email notification, weekly email notification or immediate email notification, and click "Subscribe".
Can I receive email alerts on latest wiki entries in a community?
Yes. Go to the wiki within the community you wish to receive an email alert on. And click "Subscribe for email alerts for this wiki" under Wiki tools and select Email alert frequency from daily email notification, weekly email notification or immediate email notification, and click "Subscribe".
Alternatively, you can subscribe to email alerts for individual wiki entries.
Can I receive email alerts on latest Blog entries in a community?
Yes. Go to the Blog within the community you wish to receive an email alerts on. And click "Get email alerts for blog entries" under Tools, and select Email alert frequency from daily email notification, weekly email notification or immediate email notification, and click "Subscribe".
Alternatively, you can subscribe to email alerts for individual blog entries.
How do I manage email alerts?
You can manage how often you receive your email alerts by clicking "My home" and selecting email alerts in the green bar or Manage email alerts in the tools section of My Home
You are also able to delete any email alerts you no longer wish to receive, by selecting them and clicking "Remove selected" from the Tools section on the right-hand side.
Please note that you must save settings if you make any amendments.
- Feedback
How do I report offensive material on a community page?
Click the "Feedback" link that appears at the bottom of the page within the community.
Complete your name and email address, and add the web link to the area you wish to report in the feedback section and click "Submit feedback".
This will notify the Community facilitator.
How do I report a technical problem on www.communities.idea.gov.uk?
Click the "Feedback" link that appears at the bottom of the page within your My Home
Complete your name and email address, and add the web link to the area you wish to report in the feedback section and click "submit feedback"
This will notify the Community facilitator.
- Messages
- How do I check my messages?
You can sign in to www.communities.idea.gov.uk and click "Messages".
Can I send messages to members of the community?
Yes, any member of a community can send a message to other members of the community. Go to the Members section and click the name of the member you wish to send a message to. Click "Send message”, type your message and click "Send message".
You can also send a message to anyone who is registered on the platform, using the People Finder.
Can I receive an email alert to let me know I have a message?
Yes, go to "My Home", then "Messages". Then click "Get email alerts" under Message Tools.
- My Profile
How can I change my password or email address?
Go to www.communities.idea.gov.uk/ and sign in.
Click the "My profile" link in the top right-hand corner of the screen, then "Edit my profile". Here you will be able to change your personal details including your profile, password and email address. Once relevant changes have been made click "Save changes” at the bottom of the page.
What size does my profile photo need to be?
The maximum size for profile photos is (75 x 75 pixels, approx. 30KB).
While most computers come with image-editing software now capable of cropping/re-sizing photos (Preview for the Mac users and Paint for Windows users), there are also web-based solutions.
www.easycropper.com and http://pixer.us/ offer a fairly easy-to-use cropping system. You can just upload the image you want to crop, set your desired size and it'll do the rest for you.
How do I add or change my profile photo?Sign in to http://www.communities.idea.gov/. Click the "My profile" link in the top right-hand corner of the screen, then "Edit my profile". Click the "Browse" button under the “Your photograph” field to locate an image on your computer. This will be the default picture for all the communities you join subsequently. When you upload a new photo, the old one will be deleted.
How do I delete my profile photo?
Click the "My profile" link in the top right-hand corner of the screen, then "Edit my profile". This will take you to a page where you can delete your profile picture. Click ”Remove photo” and save changes at the bottom of the page.
- Online Presence
Can I see which other members are online right now?
Absolutely! Online presence is indicated by the "Active user" section on the homepage of the community. Whenever you see a name in the "Active user" section, you'll know that person is logged in to www.communities.idea.gov.uk
If I'm only signed in to one community I belong to, will I appear "online" across all of my communities?
If you're logged in to any community on www.communities.idea.gov.uk, you will be indicated as an "Active user" across all of the communities you belong to even if you're not logged in to each of those individual communities.
I just signed out of communities.idea.gov.uk but I'm still showing up as a "active user" in a community...what's going on?
It can take up to 15 minutes after you sign out of www.communities.idea.gov.uk for you to disappear as an "active user".
- Privacy
Does www.communities.idea.gov.uk share my user information with anyone?
No. We respect your privacy and want to protect it.
- Font size
Font size
To change the font size throughout www.communities.idea.gov.uk, choose the font size by clicking on the relevant size under the Font size section on the right-hand side of the screen.
- What are tags?
Tags are a little bit like keywords, but they're chosen by you and the community, and they do not form a hierarchy. Each forum, event, document, wiki and blog can be tagged, to categorise it by a specific topic or theme using one-word descriptors. Tags are a great way to help you organise items and remember related items in the community.
Any member in the community can assign as many tags to an item as you like and rename or delete the tags later. So, tagging can be a lot easier and more flexible than fitting your items into preconceived categories or folders.
Tags are also used to form a tag-cloud, which gives a visual indication of how often a particular topic or theme is mentioned in the community. On the right-hand side of a community welcome page, is a "Tagged items" list. The bigger and bolder the tag; the more often it has been used to tag items in the community. By clicking on a tag in the list, it will show you all the items under this tag.
