[uf-discuss] Comments from IBM/Lotus rep about Microformats

Wed Dec 6 23:47:18 PST 2006

> Benjamin West wrote:
> >> Talk of general microformats doesn't make sense. Talk of microformats as
> technique also does not make sense.
> If that is true, then having Microformat Design Patterns[1] doesn't make
> sense. Which is it?

I'm not sure what you mean. A design pattern is a technique, which is
separate from what a microformat is. A microformat is an application
of several techniques to a specific end. When some techniques prove
successful, they become patterns. The techniques are means for
generalized extensions, while a microformat is a specific application
of those techniques for a specific extension. Microformats exhibit
emergent characteristics from wide usage on the web; this
characteristic means that these formats only exist because they have
already scaled --even before they were borne. So I guess I'm not
sure what the concern for scaling is.
Ben