3

So I've been using Google Reader for sometime but today when I logged on I got a message that it will be closing down. I love RSS since it brings me all the content I like without having to search it out. Then I did some reading and found out that many internet sites are phasing out RSS. This model of content delivery seems too good to just die. Is anything in the works to supersede RSS as a content delivery mechanism?

1
  • Darghhhh! I've been relying on GR since Bloglines shut down. It is highly integrated to my daily news life & very commonly used on iOS. What a nightmare. Not sure I agree about sites phasing out RSS though. Seems as common as ever to me. Mar 14, 2013 at 14:33

3 Answers 3

2

Atom was specified as an RFC in late 2005, compared to the current version of RSS, 2.0, in September 2002, and specifically as a replacement for RSS. That would seem to qualify it to "supersede RSS as a content delivery mechanism".

The linked article specifically states that "These days people tend to use Facebook and Twitter as de facto RSS readers to monitor their favourite sites and subjects. Content providers also favour these channels as they make it easier for them to analyse and monitise their audience.". So there's your answer to "what else to use?": Facebook and Twitter.

Note that at this time, at least as I understand it (I don't even have a Google account, personally), it's only Google's RSS reader that is being discontinued. Of course, since it is web-based, you can't simply keep running the last released version locally indefinitely.

2
  • You're correct Atom definitely outperforms RSS. However, in terms of magnitude, do as many sites implement Atom? Are the two compatible (interoperable)?
    – Joel B
    Mar 14, 2013 at 18:58
  • 1
    @JoelB You cannot use a RSS reader to read Atom feeds or the other way around, but I do believe most readers implement both since they are rather similar in the parts that both implement (some tag names differ, but that appears to be about it).
    – user
    Mar 15, 2013 at 8:13
1

When the customized google home page was discontinued (which I was using to read rss feeds), I switched to Netvibes. It has some very nice options to follow RSS feeds.

3
  • The question is about replacements for RSS/Atom feeds in general. Mar 14, 2013 at 13:31
  • True... However my interpretation of the problem is that RSS readers are being phased out (which was also the point of the linked article). Also, giving replacement technologies for RSS won't help the OP reading the RSS feeds that he has subscribed to.
    – m4573r
    Mar 14, 2013 at 13:44
  • I'm sorry, i read that question again and realized i was kind of ambiguous. Though i am in the market for a new reader, it won't matter if RSS itself is going to die, so @m4573r is right, i'm asking more about the protocol and the future of RSS. I edited the question to make it more clear and up-voted to offset you.
    – Joel B
    Mar 14, 2013 at 13:50
1

Take a look at Rosselo, the brand new web-based dashboard application with different attitude to newsfeeds, giving you the better oversight of your news.

enter image description here

Disclamer: I'm the co-founder of Rosselo.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .