[uf-discuss] marking up initials in names

[Andy Mabbett]

In message <18050cf90712301909g1add27u2814f3e740d0adda at mail.gmail.com>, 
Paul Wilkins <pmw57 at xtra.co.nz> writes

>On Dec 31, 2007 11:38 AM, Andy Mabbett <andy at pigsonthewing.org.uk> 
>wrote:
>> I have a need to mark up some people's names, which are given as
>> initials only, and where the full names for which those initials stand
>> are not known. For example, "A. N. Other".
><snip>
>> In the absence of an "initials" property, how would you mark up such a
>> name, in an hCard?
>
>How would you enter the information into an address book? You would put 
>"A. N. " as the first name, or even "A." for the first name and "N." as 
>the additional name.

While one of your two proposals - probably the former - may be the best 
possible solution, given the current hCard spec, I specifically said in 
my full e-mail that it was not known, in this example, whether the 
person's "given name" was (say) "Adrian" or "Nigel".

There is no "first name" attribute in hCard or vCard.

>No other special stuff is required.

The above issues aside, "A" is neither a first nor a given name. It's an 
abbreviation for one or other such a name, which remains unknown. 
Indicating that "A. N." are initials, and not names, would add semantic 
specificity.

-- 
Andy Mabbett