[uf-discuss] geo in Firefox 3 (as: Microformats gets strong showing in Firefox 3 UI)

[Alex Faaborg]

>> The problem with geo is that it is horrible to show in a UI

Mike: I think we should still try to support geo.  Exposing the user  
to geographic coordinates isn't ideal, but I think that it is  
considerably better than hiding the action entirely.

I've been talking to Mike Beltzner (UX lead at Mozilla) about  
microformats UI over the last week, and we are now considering a UI  
similar to the one Pelle proposed (http://pelle.vox.nu/koncept/ 
locationBarMenu_pelle_small.jpg), in addition to the mouse cursor  
change.

Regarding the mystery meat navigation concern: I think this is fair,  
but I would say it is the web site's fault instead of the browser's  
fault.  I think web sites should be encouraged to add UI elements for  
the user to click on to invoke an action on a microformat, similar to  
the RSS icons and links that currently appear on web sites.  The  
reason we are changing the mouse cursor is because that's the only  
part of the UI we control in the content area, we really can't start  
injecting affordances.

We are also thinking about using the cursor change for other types of  
content handling, like links with specific protocols (mailto:,  
webcal:, etc.) and files that will either download or launch a  
particular application.  So this UI is not specific to microformats,  
but content handling in general.

-Alex



On Jun 7, 2007, at 2:00 PM, Colin Barrett wrote:

> It would be nice though, to be able to take something marked up  
> with geo and have it generate KML and get handed off to Google  
> Earth or to have it open up Google Maps (with the web-app content  
> handler stuff in the WHATWG webapp proposal).
>
> -Colin
>
> On Jun 7, 2007, at 11:04 AM, Mike Kaply wrote:
>
>> The problem with geo is that it is horrible to show in a UI. The
>> microformat only specifies a lat/long (no title) and there is no
>> guarantee there is anything interesting to show in the UI.
>>
>> For a typical end user, geo just doesn't make a lot of sense. It's a
>> "geek" feature.
>>
>> You will be able to add geo support similar to how Operator works,
>> with a user script.
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> On 6/7/07, Andy Mabbett <andy at pigsonthewing.org.uk> wrote:
>>> In message
>>> <e06e0e0b0706050727g51c51960y95f62c3d4e5e97ba at mail.gmail.com>, Mike
>>> Kaply <microformats at kaply.com> writes
>>>
>>> >> One last thing, are there any thoughts on which microformats  
>>> would be
>>> >> supported by the Firefox UI?  Would it be all of them? Maybe  
>>> it would
>>> >> only be those that are specs and not drafts?
>>> >
>>> >Yes. At this point it will probably be hCard, hCalendar, Address  
>>> and
>>> >maybe geo.
>>>
>>> Why only "maybe" geo? I think there is a strong case for  
>>> including geo,
>>> especially once KML and GPX export are available.
>>>
>>> Where is this being discussed, and how is it best to make one's  
>>> views
>>> known, or to "vote"?
>>>
>>> --
>>> Andy Mabbett
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> microformats-discuss mailing list
>>> microformats-discuss at microformats.org
>>> http://microformats.org/mailman/listinfo/microformats-discuss
>>>
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>> microformats-discuss at microformats.org
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>
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