The RSS Revolution
In Chapter 2 of “We the Media,” Dan Gillmor gives a brief overview of the technologies that make citizen journalism possible. Though already outdated (note how his discussion of the expense of delivering video on the Web is no longer valid thanks to services like Google Video, YouTube and clones), the most important argument he makes is for RSS feeds. RSS is important not because it can deliver headlines to your desk, but because it is a precursor to the Web service future; RSS is an early mechanism designed to atomize content and free it from any particular display device.
Using RSS for its intended purpose is undoubtedly powerful. The ability to access and aggregate news headlines as an individual sees fit drastically changes the power structure of news organizations. It, in fact, destroys editorial power as we know it. In addition to removing an editor’s agency in story placement by limiting presentation to a chronological-only format, it also allows news consumers to override any editorial vetoes – if one news organization does not deliver a story chances are good the user will still be notified by another feed. An excellent example of how wresting power from editors and media organizations is an application I built called bbfeed (here is the Python code). bbfeed gathers news from sources that I care about and publishes it all on a simple page that’s easily accessible via my BlackBerry.
What’s more important about RSS, however, is the philosophy of content it represents. This summer I spent a lot of time covering Web 2.0 for CNET and News.com and I saw that Web services and atomized content are currently driving almost all Internet innovation today. Rather than building monolithic applications, Web developers are increasingly making use of Web services to “mash up” lots of different features into a single useful application. One of my favorite mash ups is Gmaps Pedometer, which lets you place pushpins on a Google map to calculate the elevation and distance of a run. Another example is the badge that Facebook now lets you place on any Web site that is automatically updated with your most current information. These mash ups are taking on an increasingly application-like feel thanks to the introduction of advanced APIs and AJAX-based applications.
Essentially, atomizing content frees users to work creatively to solve both large- and small-scale problems. Hundreds of thousands of people use Gmaps Pedometer to track how far they’ve run and improve their training. And, as far as I know, I’m the only one who uses bbfeed to get a news page tailored to my interests on my BlackBerry.