RSS for Dummies
September 22nd, 2006 Posted in Blog Services, Main Page, Web 2.0
RSS has to be one of the most misunderstand and/or unknown terms within the Web these days. In fact, if people/bloggers/publishers were smart, they would turf the term “RSS” for something more user-friendly such as personalized content. For anyone who wants to know more about RSS - and it's an important technology that will change how information is delivered and consumed, I like this post by back in skinny jeans (nice name for blog as well!) because it explains in layman's terms how RSS works and the benefits of using it. In fact, the high-tech industry would be better off if there was more of these posts around that offer a clear explanation of how technology works and why you should use it.
September 22nd, 2006 at 6:34 pm
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for the kind words. I have apparently struck a cord with many. I agree with you in that many tech terms can make technology seem intimidating or untouchable to the masses.
The biggest problem I see is simply in language. RSS is really cool, and I'm constantly trying to find ways to get my non-techie friends to use it. Saying “Really Simple Syndication” typically gets me the gloss eyed look back. When I started saying “I'm Ready for Some Stories” the “A-ha!” response came.
I agree too that RSS is/can/will change how information is distributed, and so let's all do what we can to make it easier for that to happen.