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/introduc
ing-operator
Xtech schedule:
http://2007.xtech.org/public/schedule/f
ull
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>