Rss As Option Or Not?

GIjsX · Joined: Aug 27, 2003 Posts: 2

Hi,

I'm wondering if RSS will be a user choise or not.
I'm not using any of Microsoft related e-mail software clients and I'm not on-line all day, I would like to read stuff ofline, so RSS is no option for me.

I hope we can choose between RSS or the e-mail option.

Regards

fuzzygroup · Joined: Aug 24, 2003 Posts: 51

Hi there,

One option is an RSS aggregator which works OFFLINE as well as ONLINE. For example, if you use an archiving newsreader then you could use nntp://rss which makes RSS content available through a news client -- and there are many news clients. Or there are other services which email rss content to any email client.

Trust me there are lots of options for you. Look at the master list of aggregators and check out www.blogstreet.com which has an RSS to IMAP option which might work for you.

Scott

bcwinch · Joined: Aug 28, 2003 Posts: 1

I have been using RSS feeds/aggregators/readers for some time and I agree with the confusion as to what can and cannot be done. Ignoring the **techy** side and simply considering the whole thing as a user it is still by no means a choice instead of or parallel to favourites, and or email. The reasons are that the options have not settled down and the information is so mixed. For instance consider the Extreme Tech article. Frankly puerile rubbish and almost off putting.

As an example of what I mean is think of the ease with which you save a site off the web in favourites. You do not get bothered by the exact url just ADD and select a location. Equally, if it news or blog think of the ease of getting a daily update from Google News on your exact choice.

Of course, once it is set up then RSS can be very useful as it is all in one (yes my RSS News Reader Newzcrawler can be used off line). But thats not the issue. It is the whole exercise of finding the XML box, often not easy on some sites, looking at particular pages on the news aggregator and then determining which News Reader best suits your needs - they often interfere with each other so choice is often not try several at once.

I stick with mine but I would be no means think RSS will replace anything at this stage in its development. Too difficult and clunky. At present sup with a long spoon and experiment with it only. I have learnt the hard way.

Bloglines · Joined: Aug 26, 2003 Posts: 21

fuzzygroup · Joined: Aug 24, 2003 Posts: 51

I think that you definitely have some good points. RSS can indeed be clunky but the issue is more at the level of poor applications of it rather than RSS itself. Just as bad websites made the web hard in its early days, so too do sites which don't expose feeds well, don't do auto discovery, etc. This is getting better though.

But it will take time.

johnniecanuck · Joined: Apr 05, 2003 Posts: 505

Seems like the jury may still be out on this RSS thingy.
Most of us just faintly familiar with the concept think of it as a little too geeky for mainstream surfers.
The advantages just don't seem to overcome the learning curve yet.
That is likely to change because of all the great minds hyped up about RSS. But, it has to change before the next, "latest and greatest," thingy comes along.
If RSS was made as easy as one-touch speed dial...Whoaaaa!
Killer!
Wink

fuzzygroup · Joined: Aug 24, 2003 Posts: 51

Well all I can say is its getting there. Its definitely getting there. We have a ways to go but the industry has come a long way in the past 6 months alone. I mean six months ago there was no:

Feedster
FeedDemon
SharpReader
Bloglines
etc

And all this stuff takes persistence and time.

Scott

GIjsX · Joined: Aug 27, 2003 Posts: 2

Thanks, voor all the replies,

but no reaction on my question, will it be offered as an option. I mean will lockergnome give us RSS or Email as a choise?
I'm happy with e-mail, yes it has it problems, but thats live (which has its problems as well . Wink

)

fuzzygroup · Joined: Aug 24, 2003 Posts: 51

Hi,

Well I think the question about whether or not LockerGnome will offer both is one that needs to get addressed directly to Chris Pirillo. I'm not a LockerGnome staffer so I can't really say one way or the other.

Chris ?????

Scott