[Web4lib] RSS usage

[Elizabeth Thomsen]

> Besides, it's far easier and more practical to get people to use Their
> Browser of Choice to subscribe to Bloglines (or some other web-based RSS
> reader) than to get them to change their browser, which is a software
> installation... 

But the real point and beauty of RSS is that it's just a structured stream
of data, and the user can figure out what to do with it.  The same system
won't work for everyone, and many individual users mix and match methods
for different sites and purposes.  

Right now, we have a lot of early adopter types who are totally 
comfortable with this, and need no help at all other than providing access 
to that feed.  We also have a lot of people who are savvy enough to be 
aware that RSS feeds exist, but who aren't quite ready to figure out how 
to deal with them.  For those people, I would agree that a site like 
Bloglines might be an easy introduction.  Actually, a lot of users may be 
even more comfortable using My Yahoo, especially if they're already using 
Yahoo mail, calendar, etc.

We're really right at the tipping point here with RSS-- I love watching 
new technologies go mainstream.

-- 
Elizabeth Thomsen, Member Services Manager
NOBLE: North of Boston Library Exchange
Danvers MA 01923
et at noblenet.org