Concept in Definition ABC

Sometimes extra help is needed to be able to interpret computer data in its correct context. This support, also raised in the "form" of data, is what is called metadata.

They consist of information attached to the data that help us to interpret them.

A simple example of the use of this resource would be the information attached to the PDF or DOC files contained in the same files, and which indicate, among others, information such as the Author of document, the date and time of its creation, and the detail of its last modification.

The date and time stamped on the photos would also constitute a use of the metadata, in addition to the geolocation that modern cameras are capable of carrying out for each image.

Still a third example of metadata, would be the tags (tags) with keywords that appear next to the Article of a blog or website, and that help to classify it for later searches.

Conceptually, the metadata would be like the index of a book, which helps us locate the different contents and access them.

Thus, metadata can describe the structure of the main data set, provide information and a description of these, or constitute added statistical / control information.

They are especially useful when it comes to classifying the information contained for its later retrieval.

Metadata is not usually important - not even consulted - for the end user, but it is for the system that handles the information.

That is why, in computer files, metadata is usually "hidden", although we can always find an option to see it.

The metadata that accompanies an information can vary over time, even if the main data does not, to incorporate new information related to a changing context.

Another characteristic of metadata is that it always resides stored in the same place as the data.

Before I have spoken of computer files that contain metadata; The same will happen to us with web pages, which for a certain contents, have the metadata in the form of labels or others in the same file HTML.

The metadata can also represent a security problem, since by not being explicitly stated, they can store information that we do not want.

For example, in the case of a Photography of which we do not want to publicize its location for reasons of safety, it is possible that the image file contains the geolocation data if the camera with which it was taken has this capacity.

For this reason, and in those of our devices that are susceptible to having to manipulate sensitive data, it is worth studying what metadata is attached to them by the system, as well as which applications we are going to use, so as not to inadvertently leave traces that do not we wish.

Photo: Fotolia. Nasared

Topics in Metadata