Re: ISSUE-76: Need feedback on splitting Microdata into separate specification

Aryeh Gregor, Fri, 4 Dec 2009 15:19:41 -0500:
[...]
> With the status quo, anyone who sees serious problems with either
> microdata or RDFa has reason to try ignoring it and pushing the
> alternative, rather than fixing the problems in the other spec.  For
> instance, a number of people have criticized RDFa's usability on
> various grounds.  Rather than making a serious effort to improve
> RDFa's usability, they've pretty much all just supported microdata and
> hoped RDFa will go away.  If microdata were dropped and RDFa
> integrated into the main spec, then I would expect to see a lot more
> discussion on how to improve RDFa, and conversely.

+1 (But it is OK for me if RDFa still is kept outside.)

[...]
> As far as establishing a level playing ground goes, there is not and
> cannot be a level playing ground, because RDFa is much older and
> better established.  It has the huge advantage of inertia.  If both
> specs are presented on an equal footing, then many authors will likely
> go with RDFa just because they've heard of it or someone else already
> supports it -- even if microdata is better.

I think you hit the real crux for why one wants it in the spec.

>  The only way to overcome
> this inertia would be to discontinue work on RDFa and declare
> microdata the future of metadata embedding in HTML.  Then people would
> gradually switch, as they'll gradually switch from XHTML1 to HTML5.

Exactly: Keeping microdata in, is only the start of "the grand 
mastersplan".
-- 
leif halvard silli

Received on Friday, 4 December 2009 20:40:22 UTC