buckworks - 7:05 pm on Oct 24, 2008 (gmt 0)

taking a concept to a logical extreme

If you're going to take something to a logical extreme, make sure your logic is sound to start with.

that Google says is so important to the WWW

It's not just Google. People have been working on the art and science of information retrieval since long before Google existed.

Stop fixating on Google and see the bigger picture. There is a bigger picture here, y'know, bigger than just Google.

since structure can be an aid to discovery

Yep, for humans and bots alike.

Methods of organization can vary a lot depending on who is doing the organizing, and also who else might be affected by their efforts. If you're creating something for personal use only, you can do whatever you want. If you want to create something that will be used by / useful to others, you'll have to consider their needs and preferences as well as your own.

A simple example from the physical world: if there is more than one cook in the kitchen, they'll need to organize the cupboards so they each know where to find what they need. There could be many ways to set up a kitchen, but there tends to be a lot of similarity in how experienced cooks organize their tools and ingredients. The similarity evolves from the nature of the tasks conducted in the space.

taxonomies, site architecture, navigation, presentation layers, frontends and all the rest is overrated and a burden in an information economy

Is the cup a burden to the tea it holds?