[uf-discuss] Paving the cowpaths?

[Simon Kittle]

Hi,

I've a question regarding microformats and whether they might be applicable
to a problem I'm trying to solve.  As I read the 'process' on the
microformat wiki I come up against things which seem to deem them
unsuitable, but I wanted to post to ask the experts.

The (initial) problem I'm trying to solve is that of storing a log of
telephone calls made and received in a structured manner.  I'm guessing this
hits a problem straight away in that it's not really a cowpath.  People
don't generally do this at the moment - although, many people keep these
records, they just don't publish them. (And they are usually incomplete
because they're just the "last 50 calls" list on a phone.)  

I keep a "last 6 months call list" and find it really useful. (It's in CSV
at the moment, from my smartphone)  I also keep notes on some calls (a
'communications log' with all those pesky utility companies, is the most
common type).  What I do at the moment is "publish" that in OneNote which is
disconnected to the source calls list and a bit of hard work to maintain.
I've seen other people keep these kind of notes too, some in an ultra
organised fashion (MS Journal), and some in a less organised fashion.

What I'd like to do is have these events hanging from a timeline -
preferrably one searchable, linkable, and preferably in a format both human
readable (first) and then also machine readable.  This is where the blog
comes in.  A blog running on my local PC storing all this info.


The ultimate vision is obviously far more than storing notes on a few phone
calls.  A log of all exercise done perhaps. (Currently in a notebook, but
more usefully as part of a time-orientated info repositary browseable by me
and processable by my machines.


Given that microformats are about paving them cowpaths, and given that this
isn't one in the sense that people aren't blogging like this now, am I
barking up the wrong tree?  In many ways the structing of XHTML that
microformats provides is so well suited I wanted to post and get some
thoughts.

Kind Regards,

Simon


--
Simon Kittle
Isa 40:30-31
http://www.moseyondown.com