XHTML was created to allow the meaning behind what you read on web sites to be shared universally with other applications. It’s been an ivory tower ideal, but all XHTML has done is created more work, an XHTML validation elitist subculture, and the false perception that there is a bigger cause. It’s just created a lot of confusion. See: 1, 2, 3, 4 for just a few examples.

What’s the benefit of XHTML? We want to see our work pay off. I want the fact that I spend time writing semantic and structured markup to pay off!

Microformats finally bridges the gap from the ground to our ivory tower. We can take off our rose-colored glasses. Pardon my idioms.

According to the creators of Microformats, they are Designed for humans first and machines second, Microformats are a set of simple, open data formats built upon existing and widely adopted standards. The cool thing I noticed was the emphasis on HUMANS!

But what exactly does that definition mean? Microformats provide web designers an easy way to allow external applications to meaningfully use information on our web site, and provides users a truly rich information experience (XHTML by itself does nothing for a user).

For example, imagine opening your LinkedIn network and populating your address book with vCards. It’s possible right now on many web sites because of Microformats (see hCard). Simply download Mozilla Firefox’s Operator Plugin or Apple Safari’s Microformats Plugin.

The same reason RSS syndication is changing the web.

1. Easy to implement.
   Let’s face it, for humans, any work is more work than we want to do. Hard work is even worse. We want to play. Adoption is much quicker when the creators aren’t making more difficult lives for the people who have to work.
2. Useful for HUMANS.
   I love this point. It’s so often overlooked by software engineers. A technology won’t spread very far if it’s only being used by an egotistical developer because its not designed to be useful to HUMANS. Microformats are useful. They allow HUMANS to use web-based information in greater context through more relevant applications, such as calendar and address book apps.
3. Richer experience.
   We all live life through experience. Without experience, we have meaningless information called sensory data. Applications other than the web can provide the information often found on the web more experience. For example, instead of visiting a web site to get my friend’s address, Microformats allow contact information to automatically transfer into my address book, which will then sync with my phone. Yippy!

To find out more about Microformats, visit microformats.org.