I agree 100% that the hand-tagging system is a hopeless use of scarce resources, namely volunteer goodwill. I work on the principle (based on bitter personal experience with law firm databases) that free-text boxes should be confined to the absolute minimum, and that drop down menus are your friend. I doubt this would make me popular over there.

Guidelines, it seems to me, while better than nothing are never going to be more than a palliative.