10. A data processing system that displays tag words for selection by a user engaged in social tagging of content accessible via a communications network, comprising: a display; and a processor in communication with the display to display a graphical user interface (GUI) within the display, the graphical user interface comprising: a tag cloud, wherein the tag cloud is a visual representation of an inventory of the tag words, wherein each tag word is a metadata keyword that can be selected and associated with the content by the user; a long tail tag word inventory curve directly adjacent to the tag cloud, wherein the long tail tag word inventory curve terminates at a left end and an opposite right end, wherein the long tail tag word inventory curve extends continuously downward from the left end to the right end, wherein the long tail tag word inventory curve comprises a head portion, a body portion, and a long tail portion, and wherein the head portion represents an upper percentile of tag word popularity, the body portion represents an intermediate percentile of tag word popularity, and the long tail portion represents a lower percentile of tag word popularity; and a slider control displayed directly adjacent to the long tail tag word inventory curve, wherein the slider control is operably associated with the tag cloud and with the long tail tag word inventory curve and is responsive to user movement, and wherein movement of the slider control changes a number of the tag words from the inventory displayed in the tag cloud; a tag word selection field adjacent to the tag cloud, wherein the tag word selection field displays tag words selected directly from the tag cloud by the user.
11. The data processing system of claim 10 , wherein the slider control is movable within a range, and wherein all of the tag words in the inventory are displayed in the tag cloud when the slider control is positioned at one end of the range.