[uf-discuss] Microformats opening blurb...

[Joe Andrieu]

So, I was checking out the latest addition to the microformats family...
Namely the WordPress hResume plug-in, which looks awesome, and realized the
opening line about microformats might be improved a bit.

I realize I may be sticking my finger into a bee's nest... But words are
worth caring about, so here goes.

The current opening blurb is:

==
Designed for humans first and machines second, microformats are a set of
simple, open data formats built upon existing and widely adopted standards.
Instead of throwing away what works today, microformats intend to solve
simpler problems first by adapting to current behaviors and usage patterns
(e.g. XHTML, blogging).
==

That's pretty good.  Focuses on the right things: humans first and paving
the cowpaths.

But when I read it today at the hResume site, with the mental filter of how
this would look to a new audience, I was left wondering "But /what/ is it?".
I remembered this feeling from the first time reading through the
microformats wiki, which goes on from the opening blurb to state:

microformats are:
[snip]

microformats are not:
[snip]

the microformats principles
[snip]

Again, all great descriptions... Yet still leaving me wondering the most
basic level of concreteness: what are they? Javascript libraries? An XML
vocabulary? PHP tools?  The most specific language is "data format
standard."  Is that like HTML?  Is it just an RFC for the next web thing?

Of course, I know the answers to all of these things, now.  But it took me a
while to get there.


May I suggest a revision to the opening blurb?  I realize I could edit the
Wiki directly, but this may be hallowed ground, hence the introduction vie
my experience.

How about changing
==
Designed for humans first and machines second, microformats are a set of
simple, open data formats built upon existing and widely adopted standards. 
==

To
==




--
Joe Andrieu
joe at andrieu.net
+1 (805) 705-8651



> -----Original Message-----
> From: microformats-discuss-bounces at microformats.org 
> [mailto:microformats-discuss-bounces at microformats.org] On 
> Behalf Of Chris Messina
> Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 10:53 PM
> To: Microformats Discuss
> Subject: Re: [uf-discuss] hResume plugin for Wordpress
> 
> 
> I blogged it as well:
> 
> http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/07/25/hresume-plugin-now-available/
> 
> Chris
> 
> On 7/26/06, Steve Ganz <steve at ganz.name> wrote:
> > Alexander Muse, Scott Ryan and the team at Spur have created the 
> > hResume Project[1] and released an hResume plugin[2] for 
> WordPress.  
> > They're looking for feedback, so if you have the 
> opportunity, please 
> > check it out.
> >
> > Best,
> > Steve
> >
> > [1] http://www.hresume.org/
> > [2] http://hresume.weblogswork.com/?page_id=3
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > microformats-discuss mailing list 
> > microformats-discuss at microformats.org
> > http://microformats.org/mailman/listinfo/microformats-discuss
> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> Chris Messina
> Agent Provocateur, Citizen Agency &
>   Open Source Ambassador-at-Large
> Work: http://citizenagency.com
> Blog: http://factoryjoe.com/blog
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> Skype: factoryjoe
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