Content Categories mess

[erikdubbelboer]

I think the whole IAB Content Categories is one big mess and I would suggest either amending them or changing the Content Categories system completely.

At the moment I'm implementing some OpenRTB stuff where I have to make a mapping between our Content Categories and those used in OpenRTB. Doing this I notice that the IAB Content Categories are missing some thing and have some very weird choices.

There is an "Automotive" category with a lot or really specific car and motorcycle related subcategories. There however is no category or subcategory for anything related to Boats, Trains or Aircrafts.

"Travel" contains subcategories like "Australia & New Zealand", "Africa", "Europe" but doesn't contain a subcategory for Asia. It does however for some reason contain a "Japan" subcategory as only country in Asia.

Another category or subcategory that is missing is anything that has to do with Weapons. For example websites for gun owner clubs, websites that sell weapons, websites about ancient weapons.

[drjbutler]

I’m not necessarily disagreeing, but the IAB content categories are actually governed by the IAB Quality Assurance Guidelines (QAG); not OpenRTB. I would direct related issues or participation in improving them there.

http://www.iab.net/ne_guidelines

:JB

From: Erik Dubbelboer [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2014 3:52 AM
To: openrtb/OpenRTB
Subject: [OpenRTB] Content Categories mess (#9)

I think the whole IAB Content Categories is one big mess and I would suggest either amending them or changing the Content Categories system completely.

At the moment I'm implementing some OpenRTB stuff where I have to make a mapping between our Content Categories and those used in OpenRTB. Doing this I notice that the IAB Content Categories are missing some thing and have some very weird choices.

There is an "Automotive" category with a lot or really specific car and motorcycle related subcategories. There however is no category or subcategory for anything related to Boats, Trains or Aircrafts.

"Travel" contains subcategories like "Australia & New Zealand", "Africa", "Europe" but doesn't contain a subcategory for Asia. It does however for some reason contain a "Japan" subcategory as only country in Asia.

Another category or subcategory that is missing is anything that has to do with Weapons. For example websites for gun owner clubs, websites that sell weapons, websites about ancient weapons.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/9.

[chompi]

Exactly my thoughts!

On Nov 1, 2014, at 5:08 PM, Jim Butler [email protected] wrote:

I’m not necessarily disagreeing, but the IAB content categories are actually governed by the IAB Quality Assurance Guidelines (QAG); not OpenRTB. I would direct related issues or participation in improving them there.

http://www.iab.net/ne_guidelines

:JB

From: Erik Dubbelboer [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2014 3:52 AM
To: openrtb/OpenRTB
Subject: [OpenRTB] Content Categories mess (#9)

I think the whole IAB Content Categories is one big mess and I would suggest either amending them or changing the Content Categories system completely.

At the moment I'm implementing some OpenRTB stuff where I have to make a mapping between our Content Categories and those used in OpenRTB. Doing this I notice that the IAB Content Categories are missing some thing and have some very weird choices.

There is an "Automotive" category with a lot or really specific car and motorcycle related subcategories. There however is no category or subcategory for anything related to Boats, Trains or Aircrafts.

"Travel" contains subcategories like "Australia & New Zealand", "Africa", "Europe" but doesn't contain a subcategory for Asia. It does however for some reason contain a "Japan" subcategory as only country in Asia.

Another category or subcategory that is missing is anything that has to do with Weapons. For example websites for gun owner clubs, websites that sell weapons, websites about ancient weapons.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/9.
—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

[manigandham]

+1

IAB categories are one of worst classification systems I've ever used and practically useless for the variety of sites out there today.

[erikdubbelboer]

I tried emailing the iab about this [email protected], but they never replied.

[farridav]

@erikdubbelboer im also working with IAB Content categories, and am looking for a parseable source (not PDF), do you know where I might find one? Id prefer not to copy-paste/scrape the PDF if possible, and i fear if i email [email protected] i too will get no response.. thanks in advance for any pointers you can give, thanks

[manigandham]

@farridav

Try this: https://gist.github.com/crowdmatt/5040911

[erikdubbelboer]

@farridav because the IAB categories are such a mess we stopped using them.

[farridav]

Thanks @manigandham and @erikdubbelboer, Ill use a static data source until we either stop using them, or they become maintained by the appropriate body