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Random Bytes, 2003–2009

Scoble: Desperately seeking syndication

in Meta

Scoble wonders why I'm making it hard to find my RSS feeds.

"...some sites don't even identify that they are offering a feed. For instance, the Random Bytes weblog offers a feed, but there isn't a link from the main page."


Oops! Several months ago I dragged the "Syndicate" component out of my layout while I was testing the "Subscribe" component and forgot to put it back! For the last six months, only authenticated readers like "Art" have been able to subscribe to my RSS feeds! FWIW, all Blogware templates include both components by default...so its just my blog that sucks ;-)

As to why I don't use the XML icon, I just don't like the way it sticks out - personal tastes I guess. Most of my readers just read the HTML and don't bother with the RSS. This will probably change as RSS continues to go mainstream and aggregators get better (and more widely used), but in the meantime, its just easier not to answer questions about the XML gobbledy-gook.

My big hope is that more aggregators and feed-clients rely on autodiscovery instead of icons and links. I really think this holds a much better experience for users when all is said and done.

[Later: Oh yeah, the "Syndicate" link is now back where it should be in the Header component, top left!]

[Later, Later: Ben Sinclair has a solution to Scoble's dilemma that I could learn to love. ]

See this post as it first appeared on Blogware.

2 comments

Comments are closed - these are kept exactly as they were left.

  1. (name not saved), May 24, 2004

    You might want to checkout quickSub. Doesn't necessarily need to be used with the orange XML icon either as we do here.

  2. (name not saved), May 25, 2004

    Great little tool - boy is it messy though. I'd want to pare down the list a bit if we implemented it.