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Loading ...You may have already heard of an OPML file. OPML stands for Outline Processor Markup Language, and XML format for outlines, and has evolved into be the format for storing, sharing, exporting, and importing RSS feed subscriptions. Most RSS readers support OPML files. That’s all cool. What you have probably never heard of yet is the APML file. APML stands for Attention Profiling Mark-up Language and is “an OPML file for attention data.”
“APML allows users to export and use their own personal Attention Profile in much the same way that OPML allows them to export their reading lists from Feed Readers.
The idea is to boil down all forms of Attention Data – including Browser History, OPML, Attention.XML, Email etc – to a portable file format containing a description of ranked user interests.”
I talked to Chris Saad a couple weeks ago about it and it sounds super cool. I, myself, cherish my own OPML file much the same way that Chris Saad cherishes his APML file.
An APML is meta-meta. It doesn’t care too much about your subscriptions (the Particls software allows you to import an OPML file to start) but it does care about how you interact with the blogosphere implicitly. It is a little like OPML + eHarmony.
Over time, your APML might mirror your true love interests and tastes. Your APML might know you better than your spouse! Than your very own sweet mother, even. To say nothing of yourself. You can become your very own market researcher, your own auto-pollster. Potentially, suggested Chris, people can meet and greet based on their APML.
It’s kind of spooky and it looks to become spookier, like the partner who can really read your mind. To quote myself, if I may, “a great attention driven reader should make you feel like you need a tinfoil hat to protect you from its accurate mind reading powers.” If folks can figure out how to truly leverage the APML, then this might just well become a reality.
APML is an open standard over at www.apml.org
I don’t have much of an APML file just yet, but let’s see what it looks like:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<APML version="0.6">
<Head>
<Generator>Particls</Generator>
<UserEmail>Chris Abraham</UserEmail>
</Head>
<Body defaultprofile="Home">
<Profile name="Home">
<ImplicitData>
<Concepts>
<Concept key="google" value="1.00" updated="2007-08-04T22:24:52Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
<Concept key="blog" value="0.98" updated="2007-08-04T22:24:52Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
<Concept key="marketing" value="0.91" updated="2007-08-04T22:24:52Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
<Concept key="tag" value="0.89" updated="2007-08-04T22:24:52Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
<Concept key="abraham" value="0.87" updated="2007-08-04T22:24:52Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
<Concept key="facebook" value="0.84" updated="2007-08-04T22:24:52Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
<Concept key="hour" value="0.80" updated="2007-08-04T22:24:52Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
<Concept key="chris" value="0.78" updated="2007-08-04T22:24:52Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
[...]
</Concepts>
[...]
<Source key="http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.xml" value="0.00" name="BuzzMachine" type="applcation/rss+xml" updated="2007-07-24T13:00:03Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612">
<Author key="Jeff Jarvis" value="0.00" updated="2007-07-24T13:00:03Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
</Source>
[...]
<Source key="http://www.micropersuasion.com/atom.xml" value="0.00" name="Micro Persuasion" type="applcation/rss+xml" updated="2007-07-24T13:00:40Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612">
<Author key="Steve Rubel" value="0.00" updated="2007-07-24T13:00:40Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
</Source>
[...]
<Source key="http://gnomedesktop.org/backend2.php" value="0.00" name="FootNotes - GNOME Desktop News-1" type="applcation/rss+xml" updated="2007-08-04T21:29:27Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612">
<Author key="" value="0.00" updated="2007-08-04T21:29:27Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
</Source>
<Source key="http://blog.ianbicking.org/feeds/new_pages.xml" value="0.00" name="Ian Bicking: A Blog" type="applcation/rss+xml" updated="2007-08-04T21:31:15Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612">
<Author key="Ian Bicking" value="0.00" updated="2007-08-04T21:31:15Z" from="Particls" particls-device="4E0A9420FA90B9E74A3FA5904FE15AF6221BD612" />
</Source>
</Sources>
</ImplicitData>
<ExplicitData>
<Concepts>
<Concept key="memes" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="chris abraham" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="abraham harrison" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="new media" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="new marketing" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="social media" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="new pr" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="new public relations" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="sns" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="social networks" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="facebook" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="pownce" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="twitter" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="blogger outreach" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="blogger engagement" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="online advocacy" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="online engagement" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="public affairs blogging" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="public affairs blogger" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="blogger advocacy" value="0.60" />
<Concept key="online brand reputation" value="0.60" />
</Concepts>
<Sources />
</ExplicitData>
</Profile>
<Applications>
<Application Name="Particls">
<OutputThresholds Key="particls.sidebar" NotUnder="0.2" NotOver="1" Enabled="No" />
<OutputThresholds Key="pop-up alerts" NotUnder="0.4" NotOver="1" Enabled="No" />
<OutputThresholds Key="pebbles" NotUnder="0.4" NotOver="1" Enabled="Yes" />
<OutputThresholds Key="newsticker" Enabled="No" NotUnder="0.2" NotOver="1" />
</Application>
</Applications>
</Body>
</APML>
Filed under: Attention Data, Attention Marketing, Attention Ownership, Attention Profiling
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APML is Attention Profiling Mark-up Language
You may have already heard of an OPML file. OPML stands for Outline Processor Markup Language, and XML format for outlines, and has evolved into be the format for storing, sharing, exporting, and importing RSS feed subscriptions. Most RSS readers…
Okay, the great metaphors just keep rolling…
APML is like OPML + eHarmony?
Fantastic.
I guess the danger in the future is that those who only subscribe (and pay attention to) their own kind will be more myopic and isolated in their positions, surrounded by ‘yes’ men and women, cloning ideas and cementing them in their own realities. A frightening notion, in my opinion. Religions have gone that way for centuries, and much of the mess we’re in today is as a result.
Great thinkers, however, know they need to surround themselves with different points of view (know your enemies, as it were…).
Will we be further dividing the great thinkers from the rest of us by our attention patterns? Probably so.
But perhaps, as we expose our attention patterns to others (through enterprise 2.0-type collaboration systems like Attensa (for watching RSS-based reading patterns) and Clearspace (for composing and sharing our attention patterns ourselves) we’ll be more aware of them ourselves.
Interesting proposition, either way.
[…] onto the idea of creating APML files to make their Attention Profiles portable. Chris Abraham has posted a piece over on Marketing Conversations.” These icons link to social bookmarking sites where […]