Toby Beresford wrote: > > >>Taran wrote: "...I continuously wonder why RSS isn't used instead of >>email..." >> >> > >Hi Taran et al > >Personally I think RSS is just too passive as a communications technology. >If an individual email is easy to ignore, then RSS is even easier. It seems >to be just a way of pushing things directly into the "some time I'll get >round to it" folder without any form of information triage / headline >processing. > >This means its usefulness is limited. Take for example, a community >organisation wanting to get its needs and news in front of potential >sponsors - how can they use RSS to publicise their work more effectively >than email? > >We've implemented RSS support on our MicroAid system for community group >newsletters (http://www.griya-asih.microaid.net/news.htm) >(http://www.griya-asih.microaid.net/rss.php?type=news&lg=en) (much due to >the influence of you and this DDN list you'll be pleased to know) but it >still seems fairly underused. > >Am I missing something critical / not understanding fully the benefits of >RSS? > > No. I don't think you are. I just think that the broader picture needs to be thought of. Peer to peer RSS could replace email, reduce SPAM, significantly decrease virus infection/proliferation, etc.
You have to think about RSS beyond it's present uses, and instead think of how it can help solve problems that plague us. >I think Email is still the killer app of the internet and our work needs to >be on improving quality and reliability of email as a communications tool. > Yeah, if a killer app is defined as something which transmits viruses and other security threats, allows SPAM, etc. It's a killer app, and it's killing bandwidth and security. > > >The over zealous spam filter problem identified in Andy's blog is one we'd >all like fixed as it's a minority of sophisticated spamming organisations >ruining things for the majority at present. > > You should really read the Scientific American article in SPAM (March, 2005). It shows how these people stay in business, and it shows how complicated people are getting when it comes to trying to deal with SPAM - spending bundles of money on a technology which is inherently flawed. If you and I were to have peer to peer RSS with encryption, I would read what you sent me specifically, and could respond to you specifically. No SPAM. If the DDN list were a peer to peer, one to many RSS feed then we'd have what we have here. In fact, to the average user, there wouldn't be any apparent difference - except, perhaps, less emails about Viagra, Cialis, estranged housewives and nervous jackrabbits. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: Panama City, Panama [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran "Criticize by creating." — Michelangelo _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
