Html templates, how it is done currently and what I dislike about that

gistfile1.html

<h1>{title}</h1>
<p>{item}</p>

gistfile2.html

<h1>{title}</h1>
{for:items as item}
<p>{item}</p>
{/for}
{if:author}
<p>{author}</p>
{/if}

gistfile3.html

<!-- Custom characters -->
<h1>{title}</h1>
<!-- Misuse of html, also because it clutters -->
<h1><span class="value title"></h1>
<!-- Illegal html -->
<h1><value name="title"></h1>