[cumbria_lug] RSS

[trevor at haven.demon.co.uk]

roger.cope at morphaniel.com wrote:
> Does anyone have any views on RSS? I keep reading articles that say it's
> going to be the next big thing but on the occasions that I've tried to get
> into it, it hasn't done anything for me...
> 
> Maybe I'm missing the point or using the wrong readers. Most recently I
> tried the Java based Hotsheet but would be interested in other people's
> recommendations.
> 
> Roger
Trevor Thinks,
Well Roger it's like this every few years or so some new piece of what is
loosly called technology crawls out from some dark corner and all the IT
trendys and 'business' types latch onto it, it needs to have a catchy,
easily remembered name and preferably the word 'business' attached.
This new technology is the key to solving all and every I.T. problem 
will lead us to a near utopia....


RSS may inadvertantly create some problems, Bandwith and information - bloat
are two while I assume someone out there is busy trying to do something 'naughty'
with it. It could be a spam-merchants wet-dream come true not to mention virus writers
and others. Readers get you to click on links based on interesting or juicy news headlines,
who knows what will be on the other end of those links ! I bet there will be attempts to use
this to attack computers -- You read it here first --


>From the 'technology' point of view RSS isn't too stunning, it is just a updated-collection 
of links to web sites with a taster pulled down from sites, it's almost
not worth writing an app for it could be done using a web browser and a local 'homepage' with
external links hardcoded in, those links point to updatable headlines with links..

I have yet to be bothered enough to get a reader so I can't recommend one. I'll not stop
visting sites I use regularly and if any of them start providing feeds I'll take note.


Wierd_Trev 
Trevor at haven.demon.co.uk
trev at bigtrev.port5.com