Blog Netlog / Netlog Events served with Microformats

We have just launched the brand new site-feature called Events in a select number of languages. It is fairly straight-forward in the sense that you can search, add, and attend events. You can also post comments and keep yourself posted on where your friends are going. We already have several ideas on how to improve and extend the functionality. For this initial release, however, we have attempted to keep it simple and basic. In this post, I would like to focus on a 'hidden', yet significantly powerful feature: Microformats.

Microformats are essentially structured blocks of HTML that allow for easy integration with other applications - in this case, your calendar software. You will find embedded hCalendar microformats on any Netlog page displaying details about one or more events.

Already, several tools exist that offer the capability of exploring microformats and working with them effectively. Tails for Firefox and a bookmarklet for Safari are primary examples. With only a few clicks, any event on Netlog can be imported directly into your calendar application. It is also worth noting that future releases of Internet Explorer and Firefox will have built-in support for microformats.

Microformats and other features, such as RSS, are merely a few examples of Netlog’s strategy to integrate and exploit emerging technologies that further enhance the user experience. Support for microformats is under continued development at Netlog, so feel free to post your ideas or suggestions. We welcome your feedback.