Feb/083
Why I don’t like RSS
Those who know me know that I bookmark all my blogs, and read them everyday.
Some of my friends use a nifty little thing called RSS, which allows you to quickly view all the new posts from your favourite posts, conveniently arranged neatly in the one spot: your RSS reader.
I can’t stand to do this.
Why? I’m glad you asked.
Well so many people put SO MUCH TIME into making their blog look nice. When you visit a blog, the theme sets a mood, the sidebars give you the option to click and browse at your hearts desire, and everything is set out the way that the blogger wants you to see it!
If you’ll allow the analogy, I like to think that using RSS is like eating well prepared meals in one concrete cell, with the table always in the same place, with no waiter there to serve you if you feel you need something more.
I much prefer to visit each site, and just remember what I have and haven’t read yet. Kind of like eating at different restaurants with different kinds of meals and different atmospheres and waiters.
Now don’t get me wrong – I’m not completely anti-RSS. I think RSS is a great option for being updated on the latest news (who needs the atmosphere of a news room?), and as a standard for syndicating blog content into other mediums. I just think that using RSS for blogs kinda defeats the point a little.
Know what I mean?
February 6th, 2008
Hi Luke–I think you make a great point here, one I haven’t considered before. RSS makes me more efficient, but do I miss something else by going that route? I just blogged about it, actually:
http://michelemartin.typepad.com/thebambooprojectblog//2008/02/the-downside-of.html
February 6th, 2008
When I first started blogging several years ago, I did keep my ‘favorites’ Bookmarked. Now I have them in my Reader. It’s a time saver for me. I can scan the post and move on if it is something I am not going to comment on. Many times however, I find myself linking to the blog to comment and find that they have a ‘brand’ new look and I missed it’s arrival.
I was thinking to, by bookmarking my favorite blogs I don’t have that ‘nagging to the bone’ from my reader about all those ‘unread’ posts I never seem to get to. As the unread numbers keep going up I get more tense. Why do that to myself?
I am actually thinking of going back to bookmarking. Thanks.
February 8th, 2008
Hey Luke,
It’s funny. I set up an RSS reader for myself, and sometimes I use it. But my natural inclination is to click down my bookmarks. I think your post helped me to understand why. Very interesting!