Editorial Taxonomy Policy

Editorial Taxonomy Policy

Purpose

This policy defines how categories are assigned to posts so taxonomy stays useful, consistent, and editorially meaningful over time.

Scope

Applies to all files in _posts/.

Core Principles

  • Categories are for stable, top-level navigation.
  • Tags are for granular details (tools, technologies, companies, contexts).
  • A post should be easy to find through its categories without creating taxonomy noise.

Category Assignment Rules

  • Every post must have exactly one primary category.
  • Secondary categories are optional.
  • Maximum secondary categories:
    • Standard posts: up to 3 secondary categories.
    • Exception: up to 4 secondary categories only if the post is also a Signature Post.
  • Maximum total categories per post:
    • Standard posts: 4 total (1 primary + up to 3 secondary).
    • Signature posts (exception): 5 total (1 primary + up to 3 secondary + Signature Post as secondary).
  • Do not duplicate categories in the same post.

Category Ordering Rule

  • Keep categories ordered as:
    1. Primary category first.
    2. Secondary categories sorted alphabetically.

Primary Category Definition

Use as primary the category that best answers:

  • What is this post mainly about?
  • What would a reader search first to find this article?

Secondary Category Definition

Use secondary categories only when they provide real navigation value. They should represent relevant dimensions of the same article, not peripheral mentions.

Category vs Tag Decision Rule

Use a category when:

  • The topic is editorially stable.
  • It is expected to group multiple posts.

Use a tag when:

  • The concept is specific, temporary, or very narrow.
  • It appears in only one or two posts and is not a strategic editorial axis.

Brand Taxonomy Rule

Brand/project categories (for example, product or company names) are allowed when they are editorially intentional.

Recommended threshold:

  • Keep as category if there are at least 3 posts, or a clear plan for a continuing series.
  • If not, prefer tags.

Signature Post Category

Signature Post is a special category for standout articles that define and represent the author.

A signature post should clearly stand on its own and reflect the author’s strongest voice and work.

Signature Post Criteria

Assign Signature Post when the article meets at least 2 of the following criteria, including quality as an explicit criterion:

  • High technical depth (architecture, benchmarks, deep analysis, non-trivial implementation).
  • Strong originality (novel framing, uncommon perspective, or original method).
  • Reusable/visible impact (reference value, repository, DOI, external citations, long-term traffic potential).
  • Evergreen utility (likely to remain relevant over time).
  • High article quality (technical quality, writing quality, argument quality, opinion quality, and/or practical impact).

Additional editorial test:

  • If someone reads only a few posts to understand the author’s profile, this post should be one of them.

Maintenance Rules

  • Review taxonomy periodically (recommended: quarterly).
  • Merge or retire low-value categories that remain isolated.
  • Re-check old posts when new category families emerge.

Quick Pre-Publish Checklist

  • Does the post have exactly one primary category?
  • Are secondary categories truly useful and non-redundant?
  • Is category count within limits?
  • Is ordering correct (primary first, secondary alphabetical)?
  • If Signature Post is set, does it satisfy the criteria above?