[uf-discuss] [Zen of Microformats] Two Fundamental Principles of Information Design

[Andy Mabbett]

In message <45F07183.40907 at iandavis.com>, Ian Davis <lists at iandavis.com> 
writes

>On 08/03/2007 19:43, Ara Pehlivanian wrote:
>> What I think your contrast of microformats' bottleneck with the web's
>> free growth is missing is the notion that there indeed /was/ a
>> "bottleneck" in the development of the web in the form of Tim
>> Berners-Lee.

>Maybe I'm misunderstanding but you appear to be saying that creation of 
>each microformat is equivalent to creating HTML, i.e. a set of useful 
>elements people can use for creative expression. Under the microformats 
>process that effort needs to be centralised to prevent name collision, 
>semantic drift and duplication of effort. There's no way to allow 
>parallel development and then work out how to coordinate differences later.
>
>This means there's a limit to the scalability of the mf development process.

I wonder if the issue isn't connected to the way microformats have been 
developed on a relatively wide-scale format (e.g. hCard) rather than 
first focussing on smaller components ("telephone numbers, say, then 
postal addresses, and personal/ organisational names; then combining 
these).

>I think the agreements can occur in parallel between interested and 
>motivated parties. But that's not the impression I get of the 
>microformats process. It isn't a microformat until it's blessed by the 
>mf community.

I'm not sure that it's the "community" whose blessing is relevant.

>Here's a great microformat that's been developed outside the mf community:
>
>http://selfdescription.org/
>
>Has anyone here heard of it, evaluated it or have an opinion on it?

I think there should be a page on the Wiki where such initiatives are 
listed, and, if appropriate, critiqued.

I have no confidence that such a page would be allowed.

-- 
Andy Mabbett
                  <http://www.pigsonthewing.org.uk/uFsig/>

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