RSS feeds # from RSS feeds.md
last edited: 2025-03-18 17:41:32 +0000
I like RSS feeds a lot, and I already know that I do. I have several.
This section exists to convince you to like them too.
My thoughts
They are a "you go to find the content" approach to consuming media (blogs/videos/podcasts), as opposed to the "the content comes and finds you" approach of modern algorithmic social media.
It's a little harder to find stuff, but if you save the feeds, you can go and read/watch/listen on your terms, and subscribe/unsubscribe based on your own thoughts, not those of a disembodied algorithm trying to match you to a pseudo-voodoo-doll version of yourself strung up by the wires of an attempt at an ever-knowing, advertising-loving, matrix-crunching computer.
That is to say, they put you in control.
Others' thoughts
information
https://aboutfeeds.com/ will let you know all about feeds.
opinions
Here's a comic, a blog, and a video. You have no excuse for your medium-preference.
You should read this comic about RSS titled RSS is (not) dead (yet): How monopolies are destroying blogs, podcasts, and webcomics.
Cory Doctorow expresses his opinion in the pretty-directly-titled You should be using an RSS reader, and Technology Connections provides us a YouTube video: Algorithms are breaking how we think.
And here are three more blogs: two by ReedyBear – "RSS could be so much better" and "I've been advocating for RSS support, and you should too"; and one by Joey: "I Ditched the Algorithm for RSS — and You Should Too".
tools
There are several tools created by others to help find/parse/create feeds like https://rss-is-dead.lol/ (grabs feeds from your Mastodon contacts), https://validator.w3.org/feed/ (validates a feed you are creating).
I've also made some tools, like: a list of common RSS URLs to help find RSS feeds on sites that have them but don't link to them; a random feed picker to pick a random feed and article from a list of feeds you're subscribed to (or use it locally).
There are almost infinite actual RSS readers you can use. Personally, I use Feeder (notably not "Feeder.co") on Android. I don't use my reader on any computers; if I want to read something on my PC I'll send the link from my phone there.
tidbits
One of my favourite sources of feeds (interest-wise) is that most things from the UK parliament have a feed, see their page on feeds.
For a source of nigh-infinite RSS feeds, have a click around some pages on my bookmarks page.