Microformats

Nate Davey & Ira Thompson

What are we trying to do?

➲ Problem: Too much information on the Web on any one subject for a person or group to find, read and aggregate

➲ Solution: Use a Computer, duh!➲ Problem #2: Computers can’t

understand human language

A shared Language

➲ HTML is ubiquitous and easily human readable when displayed by computers

➲ But computers can only display HTML, not process it

➲ Therefore…

WE USE MICROFORMATS!!

➲ Microformats make it easy for you or anyone to share and reuse data in your webpages and content elsewhere

For example, to populate an address book, browse social relationships, share reviews, tag content.

➲ For Instance, Card Example.

Card Example:

Calendar Example

Remember Semantic Web?

➲ Microformats are touted as an alternate way to enable the Semantic Web

➲ Not revolutionary, use info already out there Just organize and use smarter.

➲ Basically, just add tags that easily allow processing of web data.

Web Example

Firefox Operator Add-On

➲ Add- on: http://labs.mozilla.com/2006/12/introducing-operator

➲ Xtech schedule:http://2007.xtech.org/public/schedule/full

Rules of Microformats Club:

➲ 1st Rule: Don't create microformats➲ 2nd Rule: Re-use already made

microformats If you can't find one, you haven't done

enough research➲ 3rd Rule: Don't tell anyone about

microformats➲ 4th Rule: Disregard the 3rd rule

Answer to Handout

<div id="hcard-Ira-Larkin-Thompson" class="vcard"> <span class="fn n"> <span class="given-name">Ira</span> <span class="additional-name">Larkin</span> <span class="family-name">Thompson</span></span> <div class="org">USNA</div> <div class="adr"> <div class="street-address">First Level</div> <span class="locality">Annapolis</span>, <span class="region">MD</span>, <span class="postal-code">21412</span>

</div> <div class="tel">5555555555</div><p style="font-size:smaller;">This <a href="http://microformats.org/wiki/hcard">hCard</a>

created with the <a href="http://microformats.org/code/hcard/creator">hCard creator</a>.</p>

</div>