[uf-discuss] Dated currency examples?

[Tantek Ç elik]

On 9/24/06 7:25 PM, "Chris Casciano" <chris at placenamehere.com> wrote:

> 
> On Sep 24, 2006, at 7:29 PM, Andy Mabbett wrote:
> 
>> In message <C13C4877.7BB2E%tantek at cs.stanford.edu>, Tantek Çelik
>> <tantek at cs.stanford.edu> writes
>> 
>>> date
>> 
>> How about this as a model:
>> 
>>         "date" is an optional component of the "currency" microformat.
>> 
>>         When date is present, parsers may disregard it.
>> 
>>         When parsers understand date, and none is present, they may
>>         infer the date from any containing element (e.g. review, hAtom
>>         entry, hResume-hCalendar, etc.)
>> ?
> 
> the problem I see with logic like the above is the one that comes up
> semi-frequently when trying to address issues like this -- that a
> parser for X must then understand all other current (and future)
> microformats in order to extract the proper meaning from the markup.

This is fallacious argument.

Using a building block != using all building blocks.

In addition, the complexity/waste is far worse for the alternative, that is
a set of silo formats with duplicated functionality rather than using sets
of simple, small, modular formats together which is what we're trying to do
with microformats.

In addition, there is another reason for keeping the "dated" version of
currencies separate.

Solve a simpler problem first.

The problem of just representing a current currency value (per the context)
is simpler than representing a currency value at a specific date in history.

Another thought is that the space of "historical data" is probably a more
relevant way to discuss this than just currency.  People assert all kinds of
facts about the past (not just currency), and rather than having something
that is specific to currency, perhaps this implies a need for a simpler
"history" microformat which can then contain any kind of data which is
asserted to be true/accurate as of that point in history.

Let's think modular here folks.

Thanks,

Tantek