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In looking at the tags available for USB I find that [usb] is synonymous with [usb3] and [usb-c] which I find a bit frustrating.

If I'm looking for answers on something like DisplayPort or Thunderbolt over USB-C then it would be quite helpful if people could tag questions with [usb-c] as something distinct from [usb] so as to make the question stand out from questions that might be about the USB-C port than the USB protocol. Given the many functions of USB-C outside of just carrying the USB protocol I would think this is helpful, and if there is some disagreement on why this would not be helpful then perhaps that could be explained.

Additionally if there is going to be the tag [usb3] then perhaps that should be distinct from [usb] than a synonym since I can think of plenty of reasons to want to make the distinction between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. Since USB4 is a thing now then perhaps [usb4] should be its own distinct tag as well. I don't know if a [usb2] tag is something people might be looking for but perhaps there could be some kind of discussion on that.

Perhaps I'm overloading the question too much but I believe it relevant to also suggest [usb-pd] as a distinct tag. And to push the boundary further I'd suggest [magsafe-3] as something distinct from [magsafe] since there's not much relevant between the old MagSafe 1 and 2 but the name, there's a general resemblance in form and function but there's no adapting between the old MagSafe versions and the new MagSafe 3 (at least nothing official) and this would be sometimes related to USB-PD and sometimes not. People looking for answers on power issues would likely find it helpful if there were [usb-pd] and [magsafe-3] tags to narrow search results to newer Apple products.

Proposal for tag guidance (taken from SuperUser)

usb

Universal Serial Bus; an interface standard for connecting computers and electronic devices for communication and charging.

usb-2

USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) is a USB specification that can transmit data at up to 480 Mbit/s.

usb-3

USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed) is a USB specification that can transmit data at up to 5 Gbit/s.

usb-c

USB-C is a symmetrical USB connector system. Use this tag for questions specific to USB-C; for all others, use the generic USB tag.

usb-pd

For questions related to the USB Power Delivery specification, which allows power greater than the USB standards, when using compliant ports and special cables, for purposes such as charging attached devices. Do not use on questions related to power available in a standard USB connection.

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    I agree that bundling everything under usb is less than optimal. But given that most people here struggle to understand the differences between the various USB and Thunderbolt standards (not even speaking about software/protocol vs hardware/connector design), how would you write the tag descriptions to increase the chance that they are properly applied?
    – nohillside Mod
    Commented Dec 26, 2023 at 10:40
  • I would suggest "borrowing" the tag descriptions from the SuperUser StackExchange for usb2, usb3, usb-c, usb-pd, and the more generic usb tag. If the person posing the question doesn't know the distinctions then perhaps a more experienced member of StackExchange can suggest tags in comments or add tags themselves.
    – MacGuffin
    Commented Dec 26, 2023 at 10:58
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    I've added the definitions from SuperUser to the question (so people don't need to look them up themselves). They may need some work to offer useful guidance (keep in mind that a lot of users use terminal instead of command-line despite the guidance text).
    – nohillside Mod
    Commented Dec 26, 2023 at 11:11
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    I appreciate the effort in adding the tag descriptions to the question, though the formatting is a bit hard on the eyes. I agree the descriptions may need some work. Also, if there's going to be USB2 and USB3 then it may be wise to also have USB4. If MagSafe 3 is going to get a tag then some thought needs to go into a description for that.
    – MacGuffin
    Commented Dec 26, 2023 at 11:36
  • Feel free to edit (both the formatting and the content). Trying to keep an open mind on this, having the proposed guidance available for everybody to see and comment will make discussions easier.
    – nohillside Mod
    Commented Dec 26, 2023 at 11:40

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