Syndication and Website Content

Suggestions for Blogs, RSS and Internal Syndication

Walter Nelson, RAND Corporation Library Webmaster

RSS: The “I don’t get it” factor

• Very few customers understand RSS

• Third party feed readers are confusing

• You have to meet your customers where they are…

• …Not where you want them to be

Domesticating RSS

• Embed RSS into web pages

• People “get” web pages

• Use RSS without downloading anything

• Use RSS without knowing it is RSS

• Feed is still available for “Power Users”

What is RSS?

• “Feed” is a misnomer -- it doesn’t go anywhere

• It is a static page with a static URL

• It sits on the web and waits for your RSS reader to come and read it

• Readers monitor RSS pages for changes

What is RSS?

• XML file

• Simple HTML-like format

• You update it just like an HTML file--you change something and then post it to the server

• It contains brief text and links to other content

The Code: Bare Bones RSS Feed

The Tools

• Blog: Moveable Typehttp://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/

• RSS Parser: Feed2JShttp://feed2js.org/

• There are others on the market, but I won’t be talking about them

Movable Type – Set Up

• Installation is the hard part, but you only have to do it once

• Installed on your server (not hosted)

• Use “canned formats” or skilled web person can customize it (HTML & CSS)

• Can be formatted to look like your website

Movable Type - Features

• Once installed, it is very easy to use

• Administrators approve authors (login/password)

• Authors add content with web interface – no special software or skills required

• Uses SQL database to build/rebuild static, text based HTML pages or dynamic pages

• Automatically generates RSS feed

• Very “Google Friendly”

Movable Type Plug Ins

• Available on the “SixApart” website

• Provides dozens of additional custom features

• Can make it sort by something other than date

• Can provide structured data input

• Hundreds of options are available

Think Outside the Blog!

• The Blog is a technology with many useful features

• It is a database publishing tool which sorts chronologically and by category

• You don’t have to use a Blog for “Blogging”

• Corporate announcements, event calendar, image database, online newspaper etc. etc. etc….

Feed2JS

• The second piece of the puzzle

• Free ware from Maricopa County College

• You can use their sites or install it on your server

• Generates JavaScript which you can paste into your web page

• Displays RSS feed as a bulleted list of links on a web page

Hosted vs. Installed

• You can use the Feed2JS hosting sites at no charge and without any special preparation

• It’s REALLY easy to do

• Pitfall: your page will only load as fast as the distant server delivers content

• Moral: Install Feed2JS on your server if at all possible

“Announcements” is an RSS Feed

Click headline to get to blog entry

Creates searchable archive

Key Blog Entry Elements

• Title

• Subject categories (you define)

• Main entry (appears on blog home page)

• Extended entry (allows infinite detail - linked from main entry)

• Summary (appears in RSS feed)

• Notification (send emails of new posts)

• Editable date (you can fiddle with display order)

Data Entry Screen

Optional features

• “Comments” allows readers to comment or add additional content

• Comments should be mediated - spam is a HUGE problem

• “Trackback” allows others to link their sites to yours

• “Trackback” not very useful -- widely abused by spammers

Feed2JS Creates RSS Driven Web Content• Open Feed2JS page

• Paste URL of RSS feed

• Select display options

• Generate JavaScript

• Paste the JavaScript into your web pages

The Feed2JS Interface

RSS Feed Additional Uses

• Add external newsfeeds (BBC, CNN, Google News etc.) to your website

• Create static “link list” as an RSS feed

• Use static feeds to maintain resource lists or menus

• Customers can subscribe to your link lists with RSS tools (Firefox, Safari, Sharepoint, IE7)

Example: Library News PageCenter columns are external feeds, right & left columns are static “link list” feeds

Additional Option: Category Feeds

• Parse your RSS feed by category

• One blog creates multiple feeds

• Each category creates separate category home page

• Example: Art Deco Society of Los Angeles

Parsing Feeds by Category

RSS Option--Ditch the Blog!

• With Feed2Js, you can create link list content without a blog

• Custom RSS is more flexible than blog RSS

• You can hand code it if you are comfortable with HTML (it’s XML, but it will look pretty familiar)

• You can use a variety of freeware/cheapware RSS feed editors

• Linked content can be any web page, podcast etc.

Suggested Use of Category Feeds

• Set up branch libraries as “Categories” on your blog

• Display all announcements on the Home Page

• Display branch relevant announcements on each branch page

Quick Note on Podcasts

• Very hip, very cool, very happening, very now

• Easy to do

• Need digital recording hardware and software (standard on new Macs--available for PCs)

• MP3 sound file + RSS feed = Podcast

• Do you have anything to say?

Current Applications

• Corporate Intranet announcements parsed by location and department

• Library announcements

• Library “Hints & Tips” & “Cool websites”

• Meetings and user tests for development projects

• Record conference attendance (I’m blogging this)

Current non-applications

• Like, today I went to the gym--god I’m getting fat. You know, I really think Brittany Spears is cool. Fried twinkies--like what’s that all about blah, blah, blah…

• Clearly this is another attempt by the liberal media to advance the agenda of blah, blah, blah…

In the Pipeline at RAND

• Will be used by RAND Library to create “Subject Resource Pages”

• Subject specialists maintain their subject pages

• Sort by assigned value rating (highest on top)

• Infinite detail under “More information” link

• RSS feed of “New stuff”

In the Pipeline Outside RAND

• Will be used by Art Deco Society of Los Angeles to create database of local architecture

• Will include photographs and “More information” links

• Categories used to create browsable lists

• Multiple authors add to database without risk of “breaking it”

SIRSI Related Uses

• EPS allows you to present a search as an RSS feed - dynamically updated

• Third party tools can squeeze RSS feeds of new accessions and other things from UNICORN - EPS not required

• As RSS tools proliferate, new ways will be suggest themselves for presenting SIRSI content throughout your website

Key Points

• Blog software allows any authorized person to add content to web pages of infinite variety

• Unskilled users won’t mess up your website

• Feed2JS allows you to simultaneously post link list content to everywhere you pasted the JavaScript

• Static feeds simplify list maintenance and also allow patrons to “subscribe” to your resource lists

What’s the downside?

• Moveable Type is cheap

• Feed2JS is free

• Takes a little local labor and skill to set up

• Downside risk: it doesn’t take off

• Budgets aren’t broken, nobody gets fired

• Hey, give it a shot

Proof of Concept on the Cheap

• Use hosted blog like Bloglines

• Use hosted Feed2JS

• See how it works for you (note: it will be slower in a hosted mode)

• No cost, no software installation, no risk

Some Closing Cynicism

• Most “empowered” users don’t use their power

• Blogs languish if bloggers don’t contribute

• Podcasts are useless to those who have nothing to say

• Don’t rely on broad staff participation

• Success or failure will come from a few active loudmouths and not the passive, apathetic majority

Questions?

How to reach me

• Walter Nelson: waltern@rand.org

• walternelson.com