https://www.wilcosky.com/d/20-i-miss-rss

Wilcosky

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I Miss RSS

billy

A long time ago every website was closed off. There was no way to
know if a website was updated other than to go there. There were
various attempts to come up with a way to more easily syndicate
content but none were easier or more popular than RSS.

    Wikipedia: RSS (RDF Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication)^ 
    [2]^ is a  web feed^ [3]^ that allows users and applications to
    access updates to websites in a standardized, computer-readable
    format. These feeds can, for example, allow a user to keep track
    of many different websites in a single news aggregator.

It looks like various people were involved over the years with
different versions. It was originally built for a part of Netscape.

RSS is still around but I'm saying I miss it because it's not
everywhere like it once was.

It used to be in every web browser, and all major websites, such as
Twitter, provided feeds. Then you would install a feed reader on your
computer or join a website that let you subscribe to RSS feeds. So,
you could go to a Twitter profile click a button in your browser and
subscribe. Any new post would show up in your feed reader.

That alone is nothing special but with RSS you also can subscribe to
any news site or blog that provides a feed. This means you have a one
stop shop. You have one place that alerts you anytime your favorite
websites update.

The most popular blogging tools like WordPress still come with these
feeds by default. Since currently 20% to 40% of all websites run on
WordPress, there's a good chance your favorite site still offers RSS.
That's the good news.

The bad news is there has been an assault on RSS by the big web
companies.

As soon as it got really popular, Twitter removed RSS. Other major
social media sites did the same. Slowly web browsers removed the
capability to subscribe to feeds with one click.

Seriously? As soon as the Internet becomes a truly very connected,
easy to subscribe to most anything, beautiful thing, people got
greedy and decided it was too much. I mean, why let people super
easily read multiple tweets, blogs, and news all in one place? Or,
why have one standard that alerts people about new content? That
would mean Internet companies would not be able to offer proprietary
solutions and keep you in their app or on their site... forever! 

The trend has crept into new software and new web building
technologies. Sometimes depending on what you are building your
website with it is harder than ever to add RSS feeds. Your best bet
is to just use WordPress.

Side note: I don't care if it's RSS, ATOM, or a new JSON format. The
point is that it should be as standard as HTML to have a text feed in
all websites which is popular enough to where there are enough apps
to consume it. I mention this last part because sure, sites that
don't have RSS may have a public API. A JSON feed. But, each may be a
little different. It's not as standard and simple as RSS/ATOM came to
be.

I have a feed for this blog although I don't think anyone would be
interested in subscribing. [?]

For a few years now I've heard whispers of a RSS resurgence. And
maybe in some circles is has come back or will. But, the only way it
would be mainstream again is if people gave up social media (which
despite the name is only social inside of their platform due to not
offering RSS).

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Diranlou

Thanks god finally someone write something about it. it's a very
vital tool to surf the internet. I completely agree with the article
and nothing more to add. just as a matter of fact, I use the reading
list of blogger.com as my RSS reader: free and infinite number of
URLs

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