Microformats: the nanotechnology of the semantic web

The Semantic Web is a noble vision. It promises an ecosystem where data can be exchanged seamlessly between applications. The only problem lies with the barrier to entry. XML-based formats are currently beyond the reach of the average publisher on the Web.

HTML, on the other hand, is the lingua franca of the Web today. It is used by everyone from the humblest blogger to the largest corporation. Microformats are built on top of HTML. With the addition of just a few elements and attributes, data can be explicitly marked up as being contact information, or an event, or a review.

In this presentation, you will hear about the people-centric philosophy behind microformats. Find out how your existing documents can be enhanced using hCard, hCalendar and other simple data structures.

Microformats are useful right now, but they will become even more useful as more people publish them. The network effect created by this ubiquitous richness of data creates a true semantic web. This presentation will also look at how microformats can be used as an API for the World Wide Web.