[uf-discuss] Regarding POSH and misuse of the microformats logo

[Frances Berriman]

On 06/05/07, Patrick Griffiths <ptg at htmldog.com> wrote:

> Absolutely - I see a very important need for the microformats community
> to ensure basic semantic practices are understood. I'm just not

This is kind of why I have a problem with the "POSH" thing.

Yeah, it's meant to be a bit of a joke (and plenty of people are
laughing) - but for those people that would actually benefit from
improving their knowledge of HTML and semantics - seeing another
acronym with unknown origins thrown around isn't necessarily going to
make them learn any more!

>From experience, an unknown buzzwordy acronym tends to have more of
the effect of scaring off people or confusing them, or worse that the
concept it's describing is just another fad!  I mean, "microformats"
alone seems like a pretty scary term in the first place (which I think
is one of the reasons a lot of newcomers think microformats must be a
difficult and highly complex technology). C'mon - our founding
principle is meant to be to use the lowest barrier to entry!

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying we should scrap the name
"microformats" too, but I do think we should be making learning about
them, and semantic practices, as simple and straight-forward as
possible with minimal use of too many technical terms and random
acronyms.

*apologies if I'm starting to a little off-topic. :)


-- 
Frances Berriman
http://fberriman.com