RSS

Introduction and History of RSS - RSS is a web feed that allows users and applications to access updates to websites in a standardized, computer-readable format. - Subscribing to RSS feeds enables users to keep track of multiple websites in a single news aggregator. - RSS feeds are commonly used by websites to publish frequently updated information such as blog entries, news headlines, and podcasts. - RSS gained widespread use between 2005 and 2006, with the adoption of the RSS icon by major web browsers. - The idea of restructuring information about websites dates back to 1995 with the development of the Meta Content Framework. - RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9) was created by Dan Libby and Ramanathan V. Guha at Netscape in March 1999. - RSS 0.91 was released in July 1999, simplifying the format and incorporating elements from Dave Winer's news syndication format. - RSS 1.0 was produced by the RSS-DEV Working Group in December 2000, reintroducing support for RDF and adding XML namespaces. - RSS 2.0, renamed 'Really Simple Syndication,' was released by Dave Winer in September 2002, adding support for namespaces. - The controversy over the proper publisher of RSS led to the creation of an alternative syndication format called Atom in June 2003. - Atom was motivated by a desire to start fresh and resolve the issues surrounding RSS. - Atom has been adopted as an IETF Proposed Standard RFC4287. - The copyright of the RSS 2.0 specification was assigned to Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society in July 2003. - The RSS Advisory Board was launched by Dave Winer to maintain and publish the specification. RSS Format and Usage - RSS is XML-formatted plain text, making it easily readable by automated processes and humans. - An example RSS feed includes elements like title, description, link, copyright, lastBuildDate, and pubDate. - The RSS format allows for the inclusion of metadata and supports namespaces to extend core elements. - RSS feeds are presented to users using software called news aggregators. - Users can subscribe to feeds by entering a feed's URI into the reader or clicking on the browser's feed icon. - News aggregators regularly check users' feeds for new information and can automatically download it if enabled. - RSS feeds are used by websites to distribute frequently updated information, such as blog entries, news headlines, and podcasts. - RSS feeds eliminate the need for manual checking of multiple websites, providing a convenient way to stay updated. Variants and Modules - RDF (or RSS 1.*) branch includes RSS 0.90, RSS 1.0, and RSS 1.1. - RSS 2.* branch includes RSS 0.91, RSS 0.92 through 0.94, and RSS 2.0.1. - Both branches have backward compatibility. - RSS 2.* is widely used for podcasting. - HTML markup compatibility issues exist. - RSS modules extend the basic XML schema. - Modules use XML namespaces to define concepts and relationships. - Examples of RSS 2.0 modules include Media RSS (MRSS) 2.0 and OpenSearch RSS 2.0. Interoperability and RSS to Email - Some news aggregators have file size limitations for RSS files. - RSS is used for distributing podcasts. - Some BitTorrent clients support RSS for automatic content download. - Services deliver RSS to email inboxes. - Services deliver email to RSS readers. - Thunderbird email client supports RSS natively. - Gmane allows subscribing to feeds via NNTP. RSS compared with Atom and Modern Applications - RSS and Atom are widely supported and compatible with feed readers. - Atom has advantages in licensing, MIME type, XML namespace, URI support, and RELAX NG support. - Some major sites have reduced or removed RSS support. - RSS support has been removed in certain browsers, but Google Podcasts uses RSS. - Firefox removed support for the built-in feed reader in 2018. - Google Podcasts reached 100 million installs on Android. - RSS has seen a revival and is gaining popularity again. - Google Reader is still defunct, but Chrome on Android now allows users to follow RSS feeds. - Popular RSS readers include The Bat!, Inoreader, LinkedIn Pulse, Magnolia, My Yahoo!, News360, NewsBlur, Newsknowledge, Netvibes, Pageflakes, Planet, and Rojo.com.