On Mar 29, 2006, at 8:56 AM, Martin Blackwell wrote:
Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on the discussion started
on the Bill Gates "We Need Microformats" blogpost: http://
microformats.org/blog/2006/03/20/bill-gates-at-mix06-we-need-
microformats/
The discussion there is certainly interesting and think you probably
have some good ideas there. However, we need to do some more
background research (see http://microformats.org/wiki/process).
For example, directions get published on the web all of over the
place: what kind of structure is used? what are the implicit schemas?
what are the explicit schemas? what are the common fields?
I'd suggest that anyone interested in a 'directions' microformat
contribute more examples and analysis to http://microformats.org/wiki/
directions-examples. See http://microformats.org/wiki/resume-examples
for an example of the kind of analysis we need.
When I get a chance, I'll contribute the analogue format I have for
writing directions (in my hipster PDA, that counts, right? :D).
-ryan
Regrading the structure of a directions microformat, what are your
thoughts on using what basically amounts to a tweaked XOXO with
custom classes as described here: http://microformats.org/blog/
2006/03/20/bill-gates-at-mix06-we-need-microformats/#comment-714
Or a self contained hCalendar as described here: http://
microformats.org/blog/2006/03/20/bill-gates-at-mix06-we-need-
microformats/#comment-718
the former suggestion is a lot less code to deal with, both in
terms of creation and app parsing.
On the other hand, hCalendar already as pretty much everything
you'd want to make a directions microformat. Putting geo into the
location section allows for the directions to be displayed on most
modern mapping services, dtstart and dtend allow the end user/app
to know how long the journey will take, and how long it takes to
get from each waypoint to the next.
I think it make sense of course to use class="directions" to define
a block of code as being directions.
I'm proposing rel="map" in links to indicate that a link represents
a map- either a static image, or something grabbed from the "Link
to this page" function of Google Maps.
I'm proposing class="via" on location data specified by the end
user as points the route must pass through explicitly- should the
directions code be passed into multiple mapping services or used to
figure out alternate routes etc.
I'm also proposing class="pickup" inside a class="via" waypoint on
an hCard or hListing block of code that'd be used to say pick up
person X from point A and object Y from point B etc.
I'm going to stop myself from describing the practical applications
of my suggestions till some actually asks.
Don't want to give you too much to read :-P
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Ryan King
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