Is there a description of why, how and when to use this?
There is no general rule when to use [...] - at least none that I know of.
Most users use a note in the thread description to directly let the reader know what the thread is about. The most frequently used references are probably the following:
- [DIS] for a discussion thread.
- [INFO] for an info thread on a specific topic.
- [UPDATED] for a thread that recently got updated.
- [ANN] for an announcement thread of a specific project - most commonly used in the altcoin and services section.
- [BOUNTY] for a bounty thread.
- [Service/Open/CNFP etc.] for certain service or campaign threads.
However, there are no general rules. Just use these as you like, or don't.