Drupal Labeler for enhancing user experience in Image Searching

Searching has always been a very important issue in any Photo Gallery Application/Image databases .People post different kind of pictures related to things they are passionate about and this creates a big Image database .Such sites using Drupal's labeler will benefit in search results . But searches also have to depend on the labels assigned to the images which are usually set,when they are added to the database . But many a times such labels are not what users want,hence when they search for anything they don't get what they were searching for exactly .I will be creating AJAX based application with PHP and MySQL where users choice matters .

Drupal Labeler akin to Google Labeler with modifications (even the word Labeler can be changed if its Google’s trademark and involves license issues) will be helping improve search experience as the application will be an AJAX based tool (or the one like Google Gadgets, perhaps the same can be implemented using Google Gadget too. )which can be set on the top of the web page Floating , so that it does not in anyway disturb the original source code of the web page or the system in general .Random pictures under one category/Album will keep flashing for about a particular time period say 1 month , and each picture for 1 minute ( Though after a user has entered a word for the same,immediately after that next picture will be displayed to be labeled and user won't have to wait for next 1 minute ) under the picture will be a textbox where user will write a word which according to the user matches most to picture ,and which strikes to his/her mind first .The user writes the word and presses submit button, being an AJAX tool the whole process won’t take more than 15 seconds. In a decent internet speed .However, if the number of pictures is even more or if its very less then duration can be changed for different albums/categories.

Say a picture of a Beach can have images like coconut trees, sand, sea, beach games, sun bathing .It depends on users which word strikes them first . A new table in the database will be created where for existing label new set of labels will be added .Then by the end of the period an evaluation of the new labels will be done, and for each existing label , top 3 or 5 new labels ( depending on how close the competition between labels was , i.e. if the difference between votes for words was less, then top 5 else top 3 labels chosen ) .And now those new labels will be set for existing one in the original table or perhaps now the search will be based on this new table .The Algorithm will be set of SQL queries and simple mathematics .

Since now the labels are according to the maximum user’s choice so when results are displayed for a search. They provide a good user experience.However, there is a small flaw in the system,i.e what if the user is looking for the secondary meaning of the word?(as i discussed that due to double meaning of words ,results may vary).Which is not very common and hence never in top results in such a case user can search something like we search for definitions/file formats in Google Search " word_to_be_searched:secondary meaning" ENTER ! .For example say a person is searching for images of "Cell"(the one used as batteries).Since in general usage ,we recognize word Cell more as Cell Phones/Mobiles so maximum users must have labeled Cell for mobiles and hence top results will be Cell phones for the word Cell,the user is disappointed because he was searching for cells used like small batteries so using new method he/she can search " cell:battery" ENTER ! and he gets his desired images of battery cells . A search like "cell:biology" or "cell:plants" will result in Animal/Plant cells.

The Secondary Meaning System will be an Add-on ,i.e if the basic/core functionality is implemented before time,I will start working on it .But if not possible,i assure to remain committed to Drupal and finish this task even after GSoC'08 ,this will perhaps help me develop long term bonding with Drupal .

Please contact me, if any part of the proposal remains unclear, thanking you.

E-Mail/IM : vaish.rajan@gmail.com