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Are there examples of government policies that successfully encourage the adoption/use of open standards? I feel like the EU has successfully pushed the world

by cowpig 1y ago

Are there examples of government policies that successfully encourage the adoption/use of open standards? I feel like the EU has successfully pushed the world towards USB-C as a standard, which seems like a big success to me (I no longer need, but obviously still have, my giant tub of various connectors and wires in my garage). Would some kind of policy make sense to encourage an open syndication standard? Would it be a good thing?

HankStallone 1y ago
The Internet community (and pre-Internet, even) has done a fine job of creating many standards without government instructions. No, that wouldn't be a good thing. RSS is fine. The article stretches both in how well-known it suggests RSS was a decade ago (leaning hard on the word "might"), and in talking about its "demise" now. Some of its complaints are just silly, like when it agrees with the New York Times that "RSS" isn't a "particularly user-friendly" acronym. So they think if it had been named Bundling Up Feeds For You everyone would be using it now? RSS never caught on with average users because the average user doesn't want to think that much about his use of the web. He wants to go to one or a few sites he's comfortable with, and read what they choose to show him. That's just how it is. For the minority who aren't satisfied with that, RSS is a useful tool. There's no problem, except for people who get frustrated that the average user isn't sophisticated enough.
carlosjobim 1y ago
Rule number 1 of Hacker News: No matter what subject is discussed, there will always be a top level comment suggesting that the government (preferably the EU) should either ban it worldwide, or make it mandatory worldwide. Usually it is the first comment. As to the topic: Yes, of course the European Union should make sure that every website uses RSS. It is probably the most pressing issue the alliance faces today.

by cowpig 1y ago

HankStallone 1y ago

The Internet community (and pre-Internet, even) has done a fine job of creating many standards without government instructions. No, that wouldn't be a good thing. RSS is fine. The article stretches both in how well-known it suggests RSS was a decade ago (leaning hard on the word "might"), and in talking about its "demise" now. Some of its complaints are just silly, like when it agrees with the New York Times that "RSS" isn't a "particularly user-friendly" acronym. So they think if it had been named Bundling Up Feeds For You everyone would be using it now? RSS never caught on with average users because the average user doesn't want to think that much about his use of the web. He wants to go to one or a few sites he's comfortable with, and read what they choose to show him. That's just how it is. For the minority who aren't satisfied with that, RSS is a useful tool. There's no problem, except for people who get frustrated that the average user isn't sophisticated enough.

carlosjobim 1y ago

Rule number 1 of Hacker News: No matter what subject is discussed, there will always be a top level comment suggesting that the government (preferably the EU) should either ban it worldwide, or make it mandatory worldwide. Usually it is the first comment. As to the topic: Yes, of course the European Union should make sure that every website uses RSS. It is probably the most pressing issue the alliance faces today.