In a Web 2.0 Expo session on local-targeting, there was a noted lack of discussion over last year's buzzword, Microformats, and some question as to whether semantic approaches to links and online information are realistic or, worse, dead.
According to Ethan Stack of the shopping site Zvents, microformats aren't useful unless consumers are willing to lend that data to sites, and they won't be without some sort of incentive.
"Major retailers don't use microformats. Microformats represent the hope of Web 2.0 for structured data" said Stack to the agreement of four others on the panel. "[Retailers] would only do it if there's commercial intent."
Later, from another panel, Microformats evangelist and Plaxo platform architect Joseph Smarr disagreed. "It's sort of a chicken and the egg problem between producers and consumers. There have been more consumers lately. Plaxo, Google and Yahoo use microformats. Twitter, for example, has implemented microformats recently. I remain optimistic."
"Twitter is a good example of why microformats are failing," Stack rebutted. "Users are lazy and rely on shorthand. Twitter users use '#' marks and '@' signs. They're not going to use microformats unless there is some large machine processing in the background [doing it for them]."
Microformats, a buzz word often coupled with Web 2.0, represent adding relational data to your online information. For example, tagging your e-mail address or phone number identifies that information for third-parties, making that data more valuable. Likewise, tagging links to friends make those links more valuable in identifying the target as one of your contacts rather than an arbitrary link.
Google and other search engines are examples of producers paving the way for microformats. Search engines have a vested interest in making semantic and relational data available in order to better understand links programmatically. Google can use these tagged links as signals in determining link quality for ranking purposes. Search engine optimizers at the conference have mentioned using microformats has actually increased their rank in Google listings.
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