2 ms·

Now if RSS would just make a comeback it would be a new Golden Age.

by JJMcJ 2y ago

MrVandemar 2y ago
It never went away.
- JJMcJ 2y ago
  Most blog sites don't have an RSS link any more. Of course the protocol still exists and is usable to track sites that allow it.
giantrobot 2y ago
The issue with RSS is it is tied to the "long form" blog model* where a post requires a subject line. Most RSS readers do not do a great job displaying posts with no title. They also don't typically do anything with inline hash tags (inside the body content). With Facebook/Twitter/Etc (short form content) there's a very informal text box. Hash tags get processed inline with the body. It makes posting something incredibly low friction. A blog post that will actually show up correctly in an RSS reader has much higher friction. Boosting a blog post (reTweet or equivalent) is also high friction. Blogging never went away and blog hosts exist but "Social Media" style short form content exploded because it's low formality and low friction. Other features like direct messaging or posting picture and video are done online in the apps. A lot of early effort with that sort of stuff on blogs died early because it requires not just support in the blogging engine, but moderation/administration done by the owner of the blog and support inside the RSS software. * long form might only be a sentence
- hagbard_c 2y ago
  > It makes posting something incredibly low friction. Yes, that is what makes places like TwiXXer and the like such cesspools, the fact that they invite anyone to post whatever lies on the tip of their fingers at any moment without thinking it over for more than a few seconds. This may be fine if you're just 'talking shit' but it has the side effect of turning every conversation into 'talking shit'. If RSS does 'force' people to put more effort in to post their thoughts I say more power to RSS, the 'net is not just for 'talking shit' after all.

Now if RSS would just make a comeback it would be a new Golden Age.

by JJMcJ 2y ago

Now if RSS would just make a comeback it would be a new Golden Age.

MrVandemar 2y ago

It never went away.

JJMcJ 2y ago
Most blog sites don't have an RSS link any more. Of course the protocol still exists and is usable to track sites that allow it.

giantrobot 2y ago

The issue with RSS is it is tied to the "long form" blog model* where a post requires a subject line. Most RSS readers do not do a great job displaying posts with no title. They also don't typically do anything with inline hash tags (inside the body content). With Facebook/Twitter/Etc (short form content) there's a very informal text box. Hash tags get processed inline with the body. It makes posting something incredibly low friction. A blog post that will actually show up correctly in an RSS reader has much higher friction. Boosting a blog post (reTweet or equivalent) is also high friction. Blogging never went away and blog hosts exist but "Social Media" style short form content exploded because it's low formality and low friction. Other features like direct messaging or posting picture and video are done online in the apps. A lot of early effort with that sort of stuff on blogs died early because it requires not just support in the blogging engine, but moderation/administration done by the owner of the blog and support inside the RSS software. * long form might only be a sentence

hagbard_c 2y ago
> It makes posting something incredibly low friction. Yes, that is what makes places like TwiXXer and the like such cesspools, the fact that they invite anyone to post whatever lies on the tip of their fingers at any moment without thinking it over for more than a few seconds. This may be fine if you're just 'talking shit' but it has the side effect of turning every conversation into 'talking shit'. If RSS does 'force' people to put more effort in to post their thoughts I say more power to RSS, the 'net is not just for 'talking shit' after all.