Do I need approval to 'Create tags' if I have the privilege to ... 'Create tags'?

Question

I have the privilege to 'Create tags'. And I have been using it recently to create tags such as:

• Graphs (to separate it from 'Charts'), 81 questions.
• Paragraphs (about the module 'Paragraphs'), 135 questions.
• 403 (similar to '404' tag that existed at the time I create the 403 tag, though that got deleted recently it seems ...), 158 questions.
• lms, 6 questions, for which my suggested wiki excerpt, and tag wiki got approved.
• donations (50), training (42), spreadsheet (35), ...

Together with creating these tags, I've also edited various questions where these tags were appropriate. And I would like to see more tags added, such as DataViz, Chart (different from Charts), Flag (different from Flags), etc.

However, each and every time I create a new tag and use it in various questions, "there is always one specific +20K user" who performs a rollback or removes these tags again for all the questions in which I added these tags. And this for all questions I tagged with such tag. Due to which (of course) the tag is deleted again. And without any notice, comment, explanation or whatever to me. This seems to never stop, here are more of such approved tags that get handled in the very same way:

• Reports wiki and excerpt.
• DataTables wiki and excerpt.

Exception that confirms the rule: There is also the google-charts tag now, which I created some time ago, and with 8 questions (that I) tagged with it.

My questions:

1. What's wrong here, what am I missing?
2. What does "Create tag" privilege really mean?
3. What's the recommended procedure for me to follow, so that whenever I have a tag creation suggestion (to be approved how and by whom?) I can be sure that after it is approved and I then start editing questions with that new tag, a moderator will not systematically destroy my many hours of free time I contributed?

PS: it would be nice also to get a verdict about "Rename tag "Flags" to "Flag" (or create a synonym), or create a new "Flag"-tag?" ...

Answer 1

The bottom line is that are DA members who do not agree with how you have been applying tags across the site.

There are several privilege levels associated with tagging:

• 20000 - Trusted User
• 10000 - Access To Moderator Tools
• 5000 - Approve Tag Wiki Edits
• 2500 - Create Tag Synonyms
• 300 - Create Tags

A diamond moderator (me, Clive, googletorp, kiamlaluno, or a CM team member) has all of these, but do a lot of other users on the site. So, you can't assume it was one of us is making a unilateral decision here.

There really is no formal procedure for requesting permission to create a tag, though we have discussed the needs for some broader ones from time-to-time, and there have been lengthy discussions about how to appropriately use the version number tags (tl;dr, don't automatically apply them).

You aren't being notified about the tag being deleted because it isn't yours. Nobody "owns" or is responsible for certain areas or content on the site. The entire community cares for it and keeps an eye on it. For example, we have a drush tag, but we don't expect Greg to keep that tag up to date, to answer each and every question about drush, or to keep an eye on drush related questions and edit in the tag.

There are also differing opinions on tagging. Some think they should be very strict, and that a tag has one exact use. Others think there are some tags like this, but others can and should be used in a more generic manner.

Answer 2

1. As with other privilege to create something Stack Exchange has, the create new tags privilege doesn't mean users can create any tags they want, in the same way the privilege of asking new questions doesn't mean users can ask any questions they want; in fact, there are closing reasons for questions that are not desirable in a site.
   The privilege name is probably confusing: For the system, there are just users who can add tags nobody added before (who have the create tags privilege), and users who can just add tags already added to questions by other users.

2. The privilege, for users who joined later the site, means they can help adding new tags when there is the need, not that they start adding a new tag to X questions just to make users notice the new tag. For example, when Drupal 9 will have an official release (or a beta release) and a user will ask a question about Drupal 9, 9 can be added to the question, if the user who asked the question doesn't have the privilege of creating tags; 9 is not added to questions that are not about Drupal 9, just to create it and have it available for when Drupal 9 will be out.

3. There isn't an official procedure, but it is better to avoid creating a tag wiki for tags that could be later purged by the system, and to be sure, for tags that are not used from X questions, and from Y users. Furthermore, it would be preferable that the user who adds tag to question doesn't also create the tag wiki.

Users who approve a tag wiki suggestion are not really approving the tag for being used, so you cannot assume that since the tag wiki suggestion has been approved, then the tag is good to be added to questions. Users who can approve tag wiki suggestions don't have the time to check how many questions are using that tag, and if the tag could be replaced by a better one. Also, a tag wiki suggestion requires two users to be approved; they cannot be taken as representative of the full community, nor their decision can be taken as a community's decision.