Now that Google have announced: <http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2009/05/introducing-rich-snippets.html>
that they will shortly be parsing microformats; and using them to inform and populate their search results, I wonder if anyone would be interested in revising the flowing, which I posted here on 12 October 2007? I'd still be happy to collaborate. Though I might occasionally say "I told you so" ;-) In message <[email protected]>, Andy Mabbett <[email protected]> writes > >Hi, > >I've joined this list after an interesting presentation by, and a >subsequent conversation with, Tom Steinberg, at a conference in >Birmingham this week. > >We discussed my suggestion that microformats: > > <http://microformats.org/wiki/> > >be added to the various MySociety sites. > >I assume most of you know what microformats are (briefly a method of >adding semantics to published content, using just HTML classes and "rel" >values) but I'm happy to elaborate or answer questions if not. > > >There are microformats for... > > * contact details ("hCard") for people, places and venues. hCard > can also be used to allow easy sign-up to sites - simply provide > the URL of a page with your own hCard, and the site can read > form that page your name and contact details. > > * addresses ("adr"; a subset of hCard) > > * geographical coordinates ("geo"; a subset of hCard) > > * events (hCalendar) > > * making Atom feeds from sequential, dated news or related items > ("hAtom") > > * reviews ("hReview") > >I use all of the above on the website I run for a local charity; see: > > <http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/site/#Microformats> > >There are also microformats for "social networking" ("XFN"), such as >marking up friendships and relationships; and for CVs ("hResume"). >Others are under development (and your participation would be welcome). > > >Microformats can be used directly (by browser extensions, such as >Operator for Firefox, for example) to do things like adding people to >address books and events to calendars; and indirectly, in mash-ups. The >are being used by major players such as Google, Yahoo, AOL, > > >I would imagine hCards being used for politicians' names and >constituencies in "They Work for You" and "Hear From Your MP"; for >contact details such as those at the foot of: > > <http://www.hearfromyourmp.com/view/message/388> > >and for journalists and their papers on "journa-list". Also, with Geo, >on "FixMyStreets", for the locations of issue reports (which would >entail exposing the coordinates on the page; but that would seem to be a >good move, anyway). > >hCalendar would be suitable for sign-up deadlines on PledgeBank (Note >sure whether to make that pledge now? Add a reminder to your diary with >one click!). > >hAtom could be used for the "latest replies" list on "Hear From Your >MP". > > >There are some accessibility issues with one microformat technique, >which uses "abbr" to encode machine-readable dates and coordinates, but >it's not mandatory to use that; there are work-arounds, and steps are >being taken to devise more accessible alternatives. > > >I am not a coder, but am happy to contribute advice on the necessary >mark-up, and to test beta versions, if there are developers interested >in collaborating. > -- Andy Mabbett _______________________________________________ Mailing list [email protected] Archive, settings, or unsubscribe: https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public
