Non-text search is hard...

As far as I can see, there are basically two types of searchable object:

1. Text objects - such as a web page

2. Non-text objects - such as an image

These two require two different search functions:

1. Text-based search - searches the object itself

2. Metadata search - searches descriptive metadata

In my opinion, all content *should* have descriptive metadata (date written, author, so on). But only non-text objects actually require it - you can't search for 'picture of a horse' unless someone has actively tagged a picture with the word 'horse'.

The problem lies in the subjective nature of descriptive metadata, because tagging/taxonomy-ing/controlled vocabulary-ing is HARD. Really hard. And collecting that data is even harder, and utilising that data is harder again.

Case in point: I have a bunch of hobbies. One of them is perfumes.

If ever there was a set of content that didn't meet with text-based search criteria, it's scent. English doesn't even have scent words, or flavour words - we rely on 'smells like' and 'tastes like' because, outside of sweet/salt/bitter/sour/umami, there are no words (and 'umami', a taste-enhancement molecule found in MSG and parmesan cheese, is stolen from Japanese anyhow).

Because of this, perfumes are the perfect place to examine the efficacy of non-text search. How can I, as a perfume enthusiast and buyer, find new scents?

With difficulty.

Here are some comparisons of my favourite perfumes (I stress: despite what you're about to read, I love these scents), compared against their marketing blurbs.

Hermes Eau de Merveilles

They say:

An enchanting fragrance that encapsulates the spirit of wood, the memory of oceans and the sparkle of a constellation.

I say:

Smells like cake, only sexy. Exactly like I think spice would smell like. (Gentlemen: this is the one you want to buy your lady. You will love this so much.)

Guerlain Samsara

They say:

It was in China and Tibet that Jean-Paul Guerlain sought the inspiration necessary to create Samsara.
Samsara is a Sanskrit word that has its roots in Hinduism. It signifies the cycle of birth and rebirth, the perpetual voyage from one existence to the next, the wheel of life that keeps on turning.

Samsara is an invitation to serenity and harmony, with oneself and with the world. It is a voyage between East and West, Orient and Occident, an homage to the woman who is ever in search of serenity.

I say:

Smells like sand. No organic content, apart from one element - it's sexy (more civet than musk). Exactly like what I think Arrakis would smell like.

Shiseido Zen

They say:

Something to do with amber and 'wood breath'.

I say:

I only bought it because it has space rose in it. Not sexy.

Hermes Kelly Caleche

They say:

The unexpected caress of leather among flowers. Mimosa, iris, tuberose, and climbing rose. A floral perfume touched by leather.

I say:

A wood fire that just went out, and someone dropped some fresh/wet herbs on it. And some booze. Probably gin. Not sexy.

Jardin sur le Nil

They say:

A perfume of light and life, generous and sparkling. A bottle reflecting the shimmering green and ochre tints of the banks of the Nile River appreciated by women and men alike.

I say:

Smells like orange peel and mud, on a very hot day. Not sexy.

Chanel No 5

They say:

Femininity is timeless

I say:

Smells like perfume. Ur-perfume. Super-sexy.

The thing is, I would never search 'orange peel' when looking for a new scent, but neither would I search 'femininity is timeless' or 'cycle of birth and rebirth'. And I know that the results from using a frangrance wheel (yes, that's a Thing) are mid-lame to very-lame.

If I looked for a 'sexy' perfume I would get something vile and musk-ridden (don't fret, it's all synthetic now) with a celebrity branding attached, not something that smelled like cake. Similarly, a search for 'not-sexy perfumes' wouldn't take me to the best not-sexy perfume sources - Japanese houses like Shiseido and Kenzuo and Issey Miyake. (The cultural reasons for this are extensive and, for this post, irrelevant. But Japanese perfumes are amazing.)

Scents - they just don't translate to text.

And yet, a little part of me thinks - hopes - that this is a solvable problem. There will be a way to search for scent. One day.

...and to be honest, pretty much this whole post is to announce how thrilled I am to see that Hermes' new Eau Claire des Merveilles is now out.

Mmmmmmm... fresh cake. Delicious.