Advantages of RSS

Advantages of RSS

RSS has emerged as a simple but universal format for syndicating and sharing information over the Internet. How is this syndication and sharing style of communication different that other means of electronic communication? What advantages does it offer the enterprise?

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) solves several problems:

1. RSS provides a way to "watch" information sources. RSS allows a person to establish a link to an information source and then watch for updates. The users need not go to the site; the new site content is delivered to them. With a RSS reader the user can consolidate the monitoring of many information resources into a single view. New items are quickly scanned and drilled into as needed.

2. RSS establishes common publisher-subscriber model for the internet. The publisher organizes related content into a particular subject matter topic or "channel" and exposes it on the web as a link or URL. Subscribers can link to these channels by referencing the URL from an RSS reader and receive ongoing updates as long as it suits their purpose.

3. Subscribers are in control. RSS puts the consumer in control of the information exchange. The subscriber can drop or add a channel at will.

4. RSS breaks the bonds of email. As soon as a publisher posts new information via RSS, the subscriber has access. There is immediacy and directness that bypasses problems with email.

5. RSS provides a predictable structure for easier integration. RSS is an XML format. This means it is structured to be machine readable and capable of acting as a message bridge between automated systems. Most computers are capable of generating their information in XML format and parsing the XML. This makes integration between business processes much easier and less costly.

6. RSS provides a quick read. RSS was designed first for simplicity of format, to support news and event summaries. This format allows for the quick scan of item abstract but includes web links that allow navigation to more extensive content hosted by the RSS provider.

7. Easier enterprise communications - bridging systems and people. To date, RSS has been used predominantly as a means to syndicate content from public web sites, driven by individual publishers seeking an audience for their special interest. This is a one-to-many, person-to-person communication at which RSS has excelled.