Re: Microdata as W3C Note vs. W3C Rec.

Clint Hill wrote:
> I've not heard compelling arguments for why Microdata doesn't deserve to be a CR, rather I've only heard protectionism.

It's not that Microdata doesn't deserve to be a CR, or that RDFa needs 
protected.

Rather, it's that there are *needlessly* two specifications when one 
will easily suffice.

If RDFa were dropped and Microdata was the only Rec, I'd be fine with 
that (caveat: it needs some changes to handle some valid and useful uses).

However, the case is that there already exists a W3C recommendation 
which handles all the use cases, those Microdata supports, and those it 
doesn't. A spec which is more mature at v 1.1, one which has had 
extensive feedback (including from the author of Microdata and most 
people with any interest in metadata in HTML and beyond), and one which 
has had exponentially more people investing exponentially more time in 
to it.

This is why I personally would suggest that W3C sticks to providing a 
well defined standard way to do metadata in html. Interoperability is key.

Consider if you will the following scenario:
Two giant web companies, one which supports RDFa in HTML, and one which 
supports Microdata - now it's very valuable for page authors to add 
metadata in the attributes for these companies to consume, as each one 
delivers a large portion of their traffic and in turn revenue.

Now imagine the HTML document, say for a simple Product ... with *both* 
Microdata and RDFa.

It's that awful that most people reading this will discount it and say 
that won't happen.. but this is exactly what happens when you don't 
provide a standard way to do things, this is why we have standards.

Best,

Nathan



> On Nov 27, 2012, at 11:57 AM, Eric Franzon <eric@semanticweb.com> wrote:
> 
>> Hello all,
>>
>> As an AC Rep (for SemanticWeb.com) and as someone who regularly interacts with developers just being introduced to Semantic Web concepts for the first time, I am writing to state my agreement with the position outlined by Manu Sporny in this post:
>> http://manu.sporny.org/2012/microdata-cr/
>>
>> Moving Microdata forward toward recommendation status adds confusion in an area already rife with confusion. I believe that Microdata should be published as a W3C Note.
>>
>> Best,
>> --Eric
>>
>> -- 
>> Eric Axel Franzon
>> Vice President of Community
>> SemanticWeb.com
>> 6080 Center Dr., 6th Floor
>> Los Angeles, CA 90045
>>  
>> eric@semanticweb.com 
>>
>> LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ericfranzon
>> Twitter: http://twitter.com/SemanticWeb
>>
> 
>

Received on Tuesday, 27 November 2012 23:05:24 UTC