RSS

So, my topic for the niki this week is RSS. I had never heard of an RSS feed before, though I recognised the signal, so it was a pleasant surprise to download an RSS reader and begin getting a constant stream of news and features.

I can see why they though it would be a good idea – I don’t have to go from place to place to get my news, but can instead streamline it, can consume it all in one place!

But it sucks.

Why? I had a think, and as someone who has pretty much had access to the Internet for as long as I can remember, I think it’s to do with Hypertext. I like heading to The Age or IGN, and then getting distracted and clicking on a link, only to find two other links that interested me – and so on. It might be procrastinating, and can definitely waste time, but I’ve been doing it got do long that its become part of who I am. I do it naturally, and to lose that option to a centralising system like an RSS reader is strangely unpleasant.