[uf-discuss] Microformats opening blurb... [the whole message]

[Joe Andrieu]

[my apologies... Some magical accidental keystroke sent out a partial
message to the list]

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

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 two critical pillars: 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 via
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
==
Designed for humans first and machines second, microformats are a set of
simple, open data formats built upon (X)HTML and CSS.
==


This seems to immediately concretize the "existing and widely adopted
standards". It's a bit shorter and to my eye a bit clearer and more
powerful.


Thoughts?


-j


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