[microformats-discuss] [admin] Microformats and the Semantic Web = open ended discussion

[Tantek Ç elik]

Brian,

While I agree that there may be folks interested in this kind of a
compare/contrast discussion, it feels like the kind of thing that could drag
on endlessly without any productive result.

I'd *really* like to avoid strictly theoretical discussion topics like this
one.

Below is my summary of situation.


On 7/19/05 5:22 AM, "Brian Suda" <brian.suda at gmail.com> wrote:

> Since this is the Discussion list, i would like to pose this question
> to see what everyone else thinks. We are all interested in
> Microformats, so we are probably biased, but as a community we should
> open this discussion.
> 
> Q: In what way do Microformats help advance the idea of the Semantic
> Web, or do they at all?

The short answer is this.

Microformats help make *today's* Web more semantic, rather than pushing a
separate parallel universe Semantic Web.

The very existence of microformats questions the need (or even desire) for a
separate parallel universe Semantic Web.

That being said, anyone using Semantic Web-like concepts/code in their own
applications can (as far as experts on all sides could tell at WWW2005),
simply "read" microformatted content into their semantic applications.
Given that, I don't see any particular *practical* need for further
discussion on this topic.

So in a very "microformat" way of thinking, I'd like to discourage further
navel gazing on this topic.

Let's focus on getting things done.

Thanks,

Tantek