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An old web aggregation secret: How did RSS come about in 1999?
In an era dominated by smartphones and social media, RSS (RDF Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication) seems to have been relegated to the corner of history. However, in 1999 when the Internet was just taking off, the birth of RSS brought revolutionary changes to our online life, allowing us to obtain new content updates from multiple websites on a simple platform.
RSS allows users and applications to access updates from websites in a standardized, computer-readable format, saving users from having to manually check each website.
The core function of RSS is that it allows users to subscribe to content notifications from different websites. Users can use specialized news aggregators (or RSS readers) to automatically check for website updates, eliminating the need to spend time visiting each website individually. This not only improves the accessibility of information, but also greatly improves the efficiency of users.
History Review
RSS first appeared in 1999, when Dan Libby, Ramanathan V. Guha and Eckart Walther developed RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9) at Netscape. This version was initially used on the My.Netscape.Com website, and was followed in July 1999 by a more simplified RSS 0.91 version released by Libby. This new version removes the RDF element, making it easier to use RSS.
“In fact, the name RSS was not familiar to people at the beginning. It was originally named RDF Site Summary. However, soon after, its name was changed to Really Simple Syndication, emphasizing its simplicity and convenience. 」
But over time, Netscape withdrew from the development of RSS, making the future of RSS uncertain. During this transitional period, the RSS-DEV Working Group and UserLand Software emerged, whose efforts led to the release of RSS 1.0 and later RSS 2.0.
Technical Architecture of RSS
RSS organizes information using the XML file format, which means that RSS files are in a plain text format that is easy for humans and computers to understand. Users can retrieve the latest content through RSS readers, and RSS files contain full or summary text, as well as other metadata such as publication date and author name.
"RSS's design principle creates flexible support for all types of channel content, allowing users to obtain a variety of information, including news, blog posts, audio and video programs."
The success of this technology has led more websites to start using RSS to publish their content. As RSS evolves, many mainstream websites such as Facebook and Twitter have begun to provide RSS subscription options, so that users can receive updates through RSS readers.
Comparison of RSS with other technologies
Although RSS has occupied a place in information aggregation, it faces new challenges with the emergence of the emerging format Atom. Atom offers several technical advantages over RSS, such as a less restrictive license, IANA-registered MIME types, and XML namespace support. These advances have led to Atom gaining even greater popularity in certain areas."However, RSS still plays an important role in information aggregation, thanks to its wider adoption by early support aggregators."
Current situation and future
After 2013, the discontinuation of many mainstream RSS readers such as Google Reader has led to concerns that the future of RSS will become even bleaker. As social media becomes more popular, RSS usage seems to be declining. However, according to a 2018 report by Wired, RSS has regained popularity as users demand greater control over their content.
Despite this, RSS remains one of the most important aggregation technologies. The RSS versions currently in use are 0.91, 1.0, and 2.0, accounting for 13%, 17%, and 67% of global RSS usage respectively. This shows that even today with the advancement of high technology, RSS still provides a solid foundation for content distribution and aggregation.
Looking back at the birth and development of RSS, do you also feel that in this era of information overload, the existence of RSS has its special importance and value?
