Is it time for Apolyton RSS feed(s)?

[VetLegion]

I see more and more sites employing this technique, I thought maybe Apolyton could do it too.

http://www.webreference.com/authoring/languages/xml/rss/intro/

Want more traffic? An easy way to distribute your news? Then you need an RSS news feed. To start all you need is content you want broadcast, and one RSS text file.
What is RSS?

Rich Site Summary (RSS) is a lightweight XML format designed for sharing headlines and other Web content. Think of it as a distributable "What's New" for your site. Originated by UserLand in 1997 and subsequently used by Netscape to fill channels for Netcenter, RSS has evolved into a popular means of sharing content between sites (including the BBC, CNET, CNN, Disney, Forbes, Motley Fool, Wired, Red Herring, Salon, Slashdot, ZDNet, and more). RSS solves a myriad of problems webmasters commonly face, such as increasing traffic, and gathering and distributing news. RSS can also be the basis for additional content distribution services.

This is different from subscribing to the email newsletter because well, you do not need an email to do it. But the user needs an application with which to read the RSS file (there are free ones).

I have just found out about this so I am experimenting with how the thing works on some sites.

What do the people think, any use for this on Apolyton?

Ofcourse getting Apolyton to stop crashing is still priority number one

[Jamski]

Want more traffic?

No, we already have too much.

-Jam

[Frozzy]

Look on the front page and the column to the right...

[Rasbelin]

I second your proposal fully, Vet.

The ACS WAP sucks and is poor, while a good RSS feed would be great.

[Asmodean]

And it is not like MarkG couldn't do it. He already has an RSS feed at his other site, Http://Imarton.net

Asmodean

[Rasbelin]

But that's because imarton.net runs PHP-Nuke which includes an RSS feed component.

[DrSpike]

So would this RSS thing really help?

[Asmodean]

Originally posted by Asuka
But that's because imarton.net runs PHP-Nuke which includes an RSS feed component.

As far as I have understood, MarkG is a pretty capable php programmer. I shouldn't be too difficult for him to translate to vBulletin. That said and done, I really don't see any need for an RSS feed here. The technology isn't exactly widespread.

Asmodean

[Skanky Burns]

What exactly would we use if for, though?

[Asmodean]

Well basically it is used to allow incorporating headlines from one website into another. So if you browsed Apolyton, you would stay up to date with what went on at your other favourite websites.

At least that's how I understand it.

Asmodean

[DrSpike]

Why can't I just go the the other website?

[Asmodean]

You can, which is why we probably don't really need it here at 'poly. But you know how it is. Once enough people use a certain technology, they expect to see it everywhere. (no offense, VerLegion)

Asmodean

[VetLegion]

I do not ultimately demand this, I suggested it for discussion.

And the use I was talking about could increase the traffic or decrease it, depends. If there are thousands of civ news junkies around, then it would decrease it, but make it more to the point.

For example, you use a piece of software into which you write the URL of Apolyton RSS feed. Then you use that software to periodicaly retrieve only headlines and short descriptions of what is new on the news page. By clicking on the link you can then go to the news page and read the article that intrigues you, this liberates you from visiting the news page every day.

This simple technology evolved around weblogs (blogs) because it allows you to visit them only when you see an interesting headline and not go to every page all the time to see if there is something new. So in that case it somewhat reduces traffic, but note that this is not meant primarily as traffic reducing or increasing technique, it is meant as content managment.

Other uses apart from news distribution could perhaps be found.

I have downloaded a freeware app (Feedeader.com) and put some RSS feeds into it for experiment. Most news portals such as BBC support this.

Asmodean is partly right, this is not essential in these times of trouble, but a nice feature none the less.

[MarkG]

Originally posted by Asuka
The ACS WAP sucks and is poor

the apolyton wireless service is mainly aimed at apolytoners in the army trying to get a glimpse of the apolyton world and a (additional) check that the server is up and running normally

[Frozzy]

I'm utterly foreign to this "RSS" system. Would it pretty much make Apolyton CS News a news wire?