RSS

Jonathan AdamsDoug Bair

Colleen FlaylerHeather Haynes

The TechnologyThe Technology• RSS = Really Simple Syndication• Small, easy to learn, XML vocabulary used to

describe content of news pages, designed for rapidly updated pages such as news sites and blogs

• Actual RSS file contains: URL, title, summary• Creates feed of information that can be subscribed

to and somewhat adjusted to users’ needs such as gathering & distributing news or simply increasing traffic through more exposure (Google Reader)

• Most recent browsers (2009+) can read RSS files; if not then RSS reader/aggregator installed through operating system

• RSS = Really Simple Syndication• Small, easy to learn, XML vocabulary used to

describe content of news pages, designed for rapidly updated pages such as news sites and blogs

• Actual RSS file contains: URL, title, summary• Creates feed of information that can be subscribed

to and somewhat adjusted to users’ needs such as gathering & distributing news or simply increasing traffic through more exposure (Google Reader)

• Most recent browsers (2009+) can read RSS files; if not then RSS reader/aggregator installed through operating system

Who / When / WhyWho / When / Why• Who: most notably Ramanathan Guha, Dan

Libby, Dave Winer• When: 1st version called RDF (Resource

Description Framework) site summary, Netscape, March 1999 by Guha. This was version 0.9.

• Why: Earlier web syndication frameworks created as early as 1995 but did not catch on

• Who: most notably Ramanathan Guha, Dan Libby, Dave Winer

• When: 1st version called RDF (Resource Description Framework) site summary, Netscape, March 1999 by Guha. This was version 0.9.

• Why: Earlier web syndication frameworks created as early as 1995 but did not catch on

History & MilestonesHistory & Milestones• Jul 1999: Libby at Netscape, then renamed RSS with

version 0.91.• Then Netscape dropped RSS and caused problems

• RSS-DEV Working Group and UserLand Software jumped in unasked, but it was Guha, Winer, and other major players

• Failed to trademark RSS in 2001 due to clerical error?

• Dec 2000: 0.92 can carry audio, thanks to Winer. This led to podcasting.

• Sep 2002: 2.0, supported more text things, thanks to Winer and some others

• Jul 2003: UserLand & Winer gained copyright through Harvard Law School and started RSS Advisory Board

• Dec 2005: Microsoft adopted RSS, big deal about them using the now-universal orange icon

• Jul 1999: Libby at Netscape, then renamed RSS with version 0.91.

• Then Netscape dropped RSS and caused problems• RSS-DEV Working Group and UserLand Software

jumped in unasked, but it was Guha, Winer, and other major players

• Failed to trademark RSS in 2001 due to clerical error?

• Dec 2000: 0.92 can carry audio, thanks to Winer. This led to podcasting.

• Sep 2002: 2.0, supported more text things, thanks to Winer and some others

• Jul 2003: UserLand & Winer gained copyright through Harvard Law School and started RSS Advisory Board

• Dec 2005: Microsoft adopted RSS, big deal about them using the now-universal orange icon

Governing & ManagementGoverning & Management• Ramanathan V. Guha and Netscape designed it to bring

headlines to mainstream news sites.• However, too complex for its goals and a simpler

version “0.91” was conceptualized, but Netscape lost interest in it.

• Then, UserLand Software took “0.91” under its wing, and intended to use it for weblogging products and other web-based writing software.

• In July 2003, Winer and UserLand Software gave the copyright of the RSS 2.0 specification to Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

• Ramanathan V. Guha and Netscape designed it to bring headlines to mainstream news sites.

• However, too complex for its goals and a simpler version “0.91” was conceptualized, but Netscape lost interest in it.

• Then, UserLand Software took “0.91” under its wing, and intended to use it for weblogging products and other web-based writing software.

• In July 2003, Winer and UserLand Software gave the copyright of the RSS 2.0 specification to Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

Growth & DevelopmentGrowth & Development

• 0.90 owned by Netscape• 0.91 owned by UserLand• 0.92 - 0.94 owned by UserLand• 1.0 owned by RSS-DEV Working Group• 2.0 owned by UserLand

• 0.90 owned by Netscape• 0.91 owned by UserLand• 0.92 - 0.94 owned by UserLand• 1.0 owned by RSS-DEV Working Group• 2.0 owned by UserLand

Related TechnologiesRelated Technologies• Atom was started to be a competitor and replace RSS;

however, the earliest versions differed from it by allowing various payload types including plain text, escaped HTML, XHTML, XML, Base64-encoded binary, and reference to external content like documents, video, and audio.

• Also, it uses the standard XML language and supports the use of Internalized Resource Identifiers. This allows for elements to be reused outside the context of an Atom feed document.

• Atom was started to be a competitor and replace RSS; however, the earliest versions differed from it by allowing various payload types including plain text, escaped HTML, XHTML, XML, Base64-encoded binary, and reference to external content like documents, video, and audio.

• Also, it uses the standard XML language and supports the use of Internalized Resource Identifiers. This allows for elements to be reused outside the context of an Atom feed document.

What it Looks LikeWhat it Looks Like<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?><rss version="2.0">

<channel> <title>W3Schools Home Page</title> <link>http://www.w3schools.com</link> <description>Free web building tutorials</description> <item> <title>RSS Tutorial</title> <link>http://www.w3schools.com/rss</link> <description>New RSS tutorial on W3Schools</description> </item> <item> <title>XML Tutorial</title> <link>http://www.w3schools.com/xml</link> <description>New XML tutorial on W3Schools</description> </item></channel>

</rss>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?><rss version="2.0">

<channel> <title>W3Schools Home Page</title> <link>http://www.w3schools.com</link> <description>Free web building tutorials</description> <item> <title>RSS Tutorial</title> <link>http://www.w3schools.com/rss</link> <description>New RSS tutorial on W3Schools</description> </item> <item> <title>XML Tutorial</title> <link>http://www.w3schools.com/xml</link> <description>New XML tutorial on W3Schools</description> </item></channel>

</rss>

ValidationValidation• RSS Feed Validators determine if your feed is valid.• Feed Validator - This is a validator for syndicated feeds. It works with

RSS 0.90, 0.91, 0.92, 0.93, 0.94, 1.0, and 2.0. It also validates Atom feeds. If the validator finds any problems in your feed, it will give you messages for each type of problem and highlight where the problem first occurs in your feed. If you're unsure what a message means, click the "help" link next to the message for a fuller explanation.

• RSS Validator - Feed validation service, enter the url and it would evaluate validity of feed RSS v9x validator.

• W3C Validator - a free service that checks documents like HTML and XHTML for conformance to W3C Recommendations and other standards.

• Redland RSS 1.0 Validator - Enter the address of an RSS 1.0 feed into the following form and it will be validated and formatted for display.

• RSS 1.0 Validator - This prototype is based around a Schematron schema for validating RSS 1.0 by Leigh Dodds.

• RSS Feed Validators determine if your feed is valid.• Feed Validator - This is a validator for syndicated feeds. It works with

RSS 0.90, 0.91, 0.92, 0.93, 0.94, 1.0, and 2.0. It also validates Atom feeds. If the validator finds any problems in your feed, it will give you messages for each type of problem and highlight where the problem first occurs in your feed. If you're unsure what a message means, click the "help" link next to the message for a fuller explanation.

• RSS Validator - Feed validation service, enter the url and it would evaluate validity of feed RSS v9x validator.

• W3C Validator - a free service that checks documents like HTML and XHTML for conformance to W3C Recommendations and other standards.

• Redland RSS 1.0 Validator - Enter the address of an RSS 1.0 feed into the following form and it will be validated and formatted for display.

• RSS 1.0 Validator - This prototype is based around a Schematron schema for validating RSS 1.0 by Leigh Dodds.

AutomationAutomation• If you don't want to update your RSS feed yourself,

there are tools and services that can do it automatically for you, such as:• RSSpect - offers a free automated, reliable RSS service• FeedFire - offers free creation and distribution of RSS feeds

• For users who only need an RSS feed for their personal website, some of the most popular blog (Web Log) managers that offer built-in RSS services are:• Wordpress• Blogger• Radio

• If you don't want to update your RSS feed yourself, there are tools and services that can do it automatically for you, such as:• RSSpect - offers a free automated, reliable RSS service• FeedFire - offers free creation and distribution of RSS feeds

• For users who only need an RSS feed for their personal website, some of the most popular blog (Web Log) managers that offer built-in RSS services are:• Wordpress• Blogger• Radio

Pushing the LimitsPushing the Limits• Traditional RSS readers resemble email clients with a

two- or three-pane interface• Some innovative RSS readers are pushing the limits of

user experience• News Anchor: reads RSS feeds out loud with a built-in text

to speech voice• Google Reader Play: presents RSS feeds in an iTunes cover

flow/slideshow style• Pulp: looks like a newspaper

• Traditional RSS readers resemble email clients with a two- or three-pane interface

• Some innovative RSS readers are pushing the limits of user experience• News Anchor: reads RSS feeds out loud with a built-in text

to speech voice• Google Reader Play: presents RSS feeds in an iTunes cover

flow/slideshow style• Pulp: looks like a newspaper

The FutureThe Future• “We can’t expect consumers to come to us. It’s arrogant

for any media company to assume that. This is the way all media executives should be thinking. Go to the people. Don’t make the people come to you. That’s expensive for you and inconvenient for them. It’s just not going to happen, and it’s no way to build a media business model anymore.”

- Quincy Smith, President of CBS Interactive

• Boxee Box - Paste in video, music and other RSS feeds• iPad personalized magazines

• ZITE• Flipboard

• “We can’t expect consumers to come to us. It’s arrogant for any media company to assume that. This is the way all media executives should be thinking. Go to the people. Don’t make the people come to you. That’s expensive for you and inconvenient for them. It’s just not going to happen, and it’s no way to build a media business model anymore.”

- Quincy Smith, President of CBS Interactive

• Boxee Box - Paste in video, music and other RSS feeds• iPad personalized magazines

• ZITE• Flipboard

See RSS in Action!See RSS in Action!