In response to my entry titled Structured Blogging - Exploit or Exploitation?, Marc Canter responded with these comments. What follows is my reply.

When used as a noun, the word ’standard’ tends to imply an ideal. In this sense, a standard is a conceptual end towards which one turns their attention. Through action, one might thereby strive to approach the ideal, the standard.

When used as an adjective, ’standard’ indicates the norm; designating that which lacks qualities or features considered exceptional. As such, a ’standard’ thing may not be considered exceptionally good or bad with regard to other things in its class.

Structured blogging is an effort on the part of a group of companies to exploit bloggers and people in general. Here is a list of the Structured Blogging Participants. These companies think it’s a good idea if bloggers format their posts according to certain “syndicated formats” developed according to the content.

Marc Canter, the CEO of Broadband Mechanics ‘announced’ the launch of StructuredBlogging.org, a non-profit initiative supporting the development and deployment of syndicated formats in blog posts. Mr. Canter’s company is focused on ‘digital lifestyle aggregation.’ Mr. Canter runs a company that looks to aggregate information into different segments, ACCORDING TO THE CONTENT.

Interestingly enough, Mr. Canter’s company is not one of the Structured Blogging Participants. However, while his company isn’t a participant, it is a ’sponsor.’ In fact, his is the only company that is a sponsor, but not a participant. If this is an attempt at avoiding a conflict of interest, it’s wholly transparent. Perhaps Mr. Canter will include his company as a participant once he realizes it was left off of the list.

Jean-Francois Clavier blogged about the ‘announcement’. It just so happens that Jean-Francois is involved with one of the participating companies, Edgeio. Besides introducing StructuredBlogging and admitting that he’s personally involved with a company that is supporting one of the syndicated formats, Jean-Francois states that: