wiki:MicroFormats

"XHTML is built on XML, and thus XHTML based formats can be used not only for convenient display presentation, but also for general purpose data exchange. In many ways, XHTML based formats exemplify the best of both HTML and XML worlds."

Many blogging software projects and blog specific search engines are starting to investigate the idea of utilising microformats for describing recurring content objects in XHTML. Using XHTML allows for both the It is possible that the recurring instructional devices (iDevices) used by teachers in practice could be described as microformats. Editing environments (Wikis, eXe, etc.,) that could import Open Content Resources that included microformats for describing their structural components could then be reedited, recontextualised, and easily exchanged between such environments.

Benefits

Standardising the markup of Open Content also eases the use of CSS to manipulate the display of content for different users and media devices.

Disadvantages

Desktop research questions

  1. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with adopting Microformats as a way to describe recurring content elements in eXe?
  2. What use case scenarios would illustrate the potential of Microformats for eXe?
  3. Are there any competing tagging systems that could be considered?
  4. What is the overlap or potential to build on the work of IMS specifications in relation to Microformats.
  5. How will microformats facilitate import and export of open content using wikis?
  6. What are the implications for the eXe project should microformats be implemented?
  7. What are the requirements/ specifications for the implementation of microformats in eXe?
  8. What other alternatives could be considered for achieving a successful import/export solution between Mediawiki and eXe content?

Resources

see: http://www.microformats.org/about/

and: http://www.microformats.org/wiki/Main_Page

Separate data and formatting with microformats