Do you know what “RSS” stands for?
Be honest now…
Wait for it…
Ok.
Guess what. If you said “Oh John, that’s easy…! Really Simple Syndication!” you’re wrong.
But only partly.
It originally meant “Rich Site Summary” (and other variants) and that’s the first step in “understanding” what RSS is really about (and if you’re a geek, read here for a history).
You see, philosophically, this has significant implications for the “how” and the “what” in regards to my blogging. I attempt, at all times, to make sure that the posts, commentary, reviews, and general content reflects the Mission and Vision of my site.
In effect, my posts should speak for site and be representative of it’s entirety.
For example, if my Mission is to provide valuable and thought-provoking content about how web technology impacts the Church, then every post should speak to that point.
And that makes sense, right? If someone completely random was to happens across just one of your posts in complete isolation, it would be nice if they were able to read it and leave thinking: “Wow, I know what this guy/gal is about…!”
Idealistic? Yes. Possible? Definitely. (But maybe you need to think about your “mission” and “vision” first…?)
Cool? Good. You’re now a guru.
And now, to the good stuff: Gaining RSS subscribers. Go here and read up on 50 simple ways to increase your RSS Readership.
Enjoy.
Yes, I am a geek and yes, I had already read the hx. I think it might be slightly less confusing if RSS had not changed meanings so many times. Then again, it is easier to tell someone "really simple syndication" (like a newspaper) versus trying to say "RDF site summary."
I do like the idea of each article in the "rich site summary" staying true to the blog's overall purpose. Very cool thought and I will have to keep that in mind in the future when talking about writing posts. w00t. You rock!
i like education. w00t.