[uf-new] Microformat for Music Downloads

[Scott Reynen]

On Apr 5, 2007, at 9:56 AM, Manu Sporny wrote:

> media-info will definitely solve this problem once it is finalized.  
> That
> being said, does that invalidate the need for Music Download
> microformat? Based on Stephen and your problem definition for Music
> Download, and with your addition below, I think it does.

I think this is backwards.  We shouldn't delay solving the simpler  
problem until the more complex problem is solved.  We should solve  
the simpler problem first, and make that solution a modular part of  
the more complex solution.

>> isn't rel="enclosure" type="audio/mpeg" sufficient enough to do this
>> then? maybe just adding length="198000" or something ?
>
> That is a good, simple solution. 'rel' and 'type' are standard <a>
> elements and would aid a browser in recognizing that you are talking
> about an MP3 file... Amarok/iTunes could detect an hAtom/hReview combo
> with a type="audio/mpeg" link. It would be difficult for it to  
> recognize
> artist/track information - wouldn't it? Wouldn't that have to be
> standardized to some degree? While we can use hAtom/hReview to do  
> this -
> it seems a bit like a band-aid... media-info being the real  
> solution to
> this problem. Do you agree or disagree?

I agree that artist and track information are still needed, but  
disagree that this in some way reduces the value in reusing existing  
standards.  We can and should reuse existing standards *and* add  
artist and track information.

> The Atom standard defines "length" for content, so it wouldn't be a
> stretch to imagine that being an optional element of hAtom? The  
> question
> is... do we want to add that to hAtom?

Even before asking that, the question is: is length a property we  
need to add at all?  It shows up in just over half of surveyed sites,  
a bit short of our rough 80% benchmark.  We can always add more  
later, so we should start as simple as possible.  Maybe that means  
including length, but maybe it doesn't.  We shouldn't be adding  
properties just because we can.

--
Scott Reynen
MakeDataMakeSense.com