Howto implement Microformats in your blog
We need microformats and to get people to agree on them. It is going to bootstrap exchanging data on the Web..
..we need them for things like contact cards, events, directions..
I agree. Not because the tech god of the digital world says so, but because it makes sense to add weight to the data. To mean something. To define or classify something. I am new to this, but I understand why they are important. Just like I know how a strong word/phrase has more meaning to it than being just a bold face visually. Strong is an emphasis and it provides a dimension, a form of expression to your words.
But those hCards look so boring
Yeah, you got that right, sailor. But they don’t have to be.
I wanted an hCard on my site without making it look like some kind of (paper) visiting card or an ID card. Also, I didn’t want to repeat what little I had already about me on this site. So, I just applied hCard attributes to the content I already had about me. The intro paragraph on the main page about me has hCard microformat attributes. So, my brief description itself is my hCard. Look up the source of this site’s main page. Simple?
What I’m trying to say here is that presentation of the data doesn’t matter, does not have to look like a list or a card. It can be a paragraph of text, suitably enclosed so that the data is identified as an hCard.
Where should I have my hCard?
How about your sidebar where you already have a paragraph about yourself? How about your “about” or “colophon” page? Feel free to keep your long story about yourself if you like, but do attach microformats to the relevant text and image.
We have a group blog with many authors
No sweat. Wash, rinse and repeat. One hCard for each author, I mean. Keep the description about the author, just attach relevant hCard attributes to name, photo, email, phone number, address and whatever you have about yourself and your co-authors.
Update: Use this Firefox extension called Tails Export to look-up basic hCard info on any site.
I have implemented it a little bit in my blog. I also did some experiments in microformatted resume which you can see here.
May 16, 06 at 00:23Jax: Looking good.
May 16, 06 at 04:13