Here is an introduction to Microformats, written by Andy. This great article correctly explains what is microformats and what are their interests in the web. That’s interesting because you can see that Microformats would enable a better accessibility on each website we can see everyday.
It is simply a new mean to have additionnal readable information from anywhere. To be more technical, we can say that “microformat is a simple addition to your regular HTML, using the class, rel, and rev attributes”.
A summery of its advantages :
– Simple to create
– Simple copy of information
– Standalone concept
– Immediately useful
– Open Standards
If you are interested in Microformats, you can visit wiki dedicated to Microformats (english version or french version).