https://kmaasrud.com/blog/opml-is-underrated.html
OPML is underrated
As a response to the general enshittification of major platforms, I
would say we are seeing a resurgence of the old web's ethos, with
personal blogs gaining traction and the concept of the small web on
the rise. That might be colored by the digital communities I hang
around in (which are mostly dominated by programmers) but it does at
least empirically feel like a trend^1. That brings along with it a
new interest in open web standards. Among them is RSS^2, which both
I, and I think a lot others, have increasingly integrated into our
digital routines to keep track of posts from people and sources we're
following. RSS aligns perfectly with the movement towards more
personalized and controlled content consumption. Unlike the
algorithm-driven feeds of `other platforms' -- which often prioritize
engagement over relevance or quality -- RSS allows me to curate my own
information stream. This feels important to me, as it gives me a
level of autonomy over the content that shapes my views and
knowledge, as opposed to handing that power over to advertisers.
There is an issue, though. RSS feeds can be a bit clunky to manage
and keep track of. Their decentralized nature also makes
discoverability an issue. Enter OPML, which is an outliner format
that is most commonly used to store a list of feed subscriptions. I
promise you; having a single file that stores all the feeds you're
interested in is a gamechanger, as it makes it significantly easier
to organize, migrate, and share those feeds across different
platforms and devices. Here's an example:
A list of feeds I follow
Each outline item must have the type rss (that goes for both RSS and
Atom feeds) and must include the xmlUrl attribute. Optionally, you
can specify some more attributes, like adding a title with text, a
description with description and a link to the blog front page with
htmlUrl -- that added metadata can be very useful. Yes, it is
XML-based, which I admit isn't exactly the easiest format to work
with, but it has a few advantages, which we'll get back to.
With OPML, you don't need separate applications or services to
categorize feeds. Categorization can be achieved within a single OPML
file through its outlining capabilities or by managing multiple OPML
files, each dedicated to a different category or use-case. It is a
very viable workflow to have one OPML file for your YouTube
subscriptions, another for your favorite Twitter/X and Mastodon
users, one more for news sites, and yet another for personal blogs --
the world's your oyster. However, there aren't many application that
support nested OPML outlines or categorizing based on different
files, sadly, but there should be! This is a call to action,
developers: Perfect side-project!
Beyond personal convenience, OPML has the potential to better the
ecosystem of the `small web.' By not only sharing an RSS feed on your
personal website, but also your list of subscribed feeds, we're
effectively creating a recommendation system that is based on
concious curation, not statistical metrics. Your OPML file is now
called a blogroll, and you officially get to call yourself a 90s web
developer. Jokes aside, I believe the simple fact that there is a
known person behind each recommendation is advantageous. Yes, this
might promote smaller digital social circles, but I personally think
the transparency of a known source is the best way to combat filter
bubbles. That part is a whole sociological discussion in itself, so
if you would like to discuss it further, I would love chatting about
it on my mailing list.
Now, getting back to the fact that OPML is XML-based; I'd like to
highlight an often-overlooked feature of this: The ability to use an
XSL stylesheet to display the OPML file rendered through a HTML
template when loaded in a browser. With this, you can add a short
introduction and guide to the format, making the blogroll more
accessible to those unfamiliar with it. It also opens the possibility
to showcase each feed with added context or descriptions.
Here is an example XSL stylesheet you can use:
<xsl:value-of select="head/title"/>
This is a list of blogs and news sources I follow. The page
is itself an OPML file, which
means you can copy the link into your RSS reader to
subscribe to all the feeds listed below.
You can link to the stylesheet in your OPML file by adding at the
top. I actually do this on my own blogroll, so check that out if you
want some inspiration.
While we're all getting a bit fed up with the big platforms, OPML is
like a breath of fresh air from the old web days. It's all about
making life easier when managing feeds, sharing cool finds, and
stumbling upon new stuff. So I encourage you to create your own
blogroll, slap it on your website, and share what you're into. It's a
simple move, but it could spark some real connections and bring back
a bit of that community vibe we miss.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Please reach out to me if you have some hard time-series
statistics on the number of people with active personal websites.
-[?]
2. Like most people, I'll be using `RSS' to refer to both RSS and
Atom. You can read more about the differences between the two
here.-[?]
home * src * feed * wiki * blogroll * inbox
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