Tags are a really great way to label your tasks. They're just a list of words you choose to associate with a task. This makes it easier to find your tasks and to find tasks that are alike or in the same category. If you are trying to file anything, say your DVDs, you instantly run into some issues with how to categorize things. Does the 1974 TV thriller Killer Bees go under 'K?' Or '1970s?' Or 'Television Thrillers?' Maybe it should go under 'Gloria Swanson?' With tags, you could file it under all of those categories.
Let's say you have a task called "Take the camera to work for Frank's going-away party." You could tag it with [work] because you're going to the office and [home] because that's where the camera is. You can also tag it with [camera], [Frank] and [parties]. If you search for any of those tags, or make a list using them, that task will show up. Then you'll remember to take the camera to work, and you won't miss the opportunity to get pictures of Frank in a paper hat.
In other words, tags will give your tasks context. You can apply [phone] to all of the phone calls you need to make. Likewise, you can imagine how tags like [shopping], [bills], [car], [kids], ["book club"] etc. might be used. If you wanted to include [shopping] and [bills] in a larger [money] category, then you can apply [money] to all of those tasks. You can then search for the broader context or the narrower context. If you have a project, say to build a clubhouse, attach [clubhouse] to all of those tasks. Then you can get increasingly specific for each part of the larger project - for example:
The tag cloud shows you which tags you're using, and how much you're using them. It indicates how much you use a tag by making that tag bigger or smaller, relative to the other tags, so if your "work" tag is bigger than your "fun" tag, we would suggest you find more fun things to do. If you select "all," the tag cloud will reflect the tags of all your tasks in Hiveminder. If you select "page," then the tag cloud will reflect only the tags for the tasks on that page. Similarly, selecting "group" will show the tags for everyone's tasks in only that group.