I've been advocating for RSS support, and you should too

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Value of RSS to Users

  • Seen as simple, open, and under user control: one place to follow blogs, news, videos, software releases, job posts, etc.
  • Major benefits: no algorithmic feeds, fewer ads and trackers, reduced spam vs email, and no need for push notifications.
  • Many use RSS as primary news/information source and report strong engagement (people emailing when feeds break).
  • Some only follow sites that offer RSS and drop platforms if RSS disappears.

Implementation and Standards (RSS vs Atom)

  • Implementing feeds is described as easy: often a toggle in static site generators/blog engines, or a few lines of code/custom XML.
  • Suggested strategy: reuse existing list/index generation logic to output title, link, summary, date.
  • Debate over RSS vs Atom:
    • Atom is argued to be a clearer, less ambiguous superset; many recommend using Atom while labeling it “RSS” for users.
    • Others prefer RSS for its perceived simplicity and brand recognition.
  • Technical details discussed: guid/id for item identity, polling with ETag/If-Modified-Since, optional ttl/skip fields.

Discovery, Tooling, and Hidden Feeds

  • Many sites have feeds but don’t link them; several tools try to auto-detect feeds or generate them from HTML/newsletters.
  • Numerous services and readers are mentioned (self-hosted and hosted), plus tools to convert newsletters, CSS-selected page elements, or walled-garden content into feeds.
  • Platforms like YouTube, Reddit, GitHub, and some social networks expose under-documented feed URLs, including special playlist IDs and profile feeds.

Push vs Pull, Federation, and Browser Support

  • RSS is pull-based; some argue users don’t need real-time push, others want federated, push-first systems.
  • Some propose layering optional push (e.g., WebSub-like mechanisms) on top of RSS; others point to newer protocols like ActivityPub.
  • Strong frustration that browsers removed integrated feed handling and discovery; calls for bringing back a simple “RSS button.”

Publisher Incentives, Monetization, and Abuse

  • Concern from publishers: full-text feeds bypass sites, ads, tracking, and homepages, making monetization harder.
  • Counterpoints: use teaser summaries, special subscriber feeds, or RSS-based “offers” as a marketing channel.
  • Some public or government sites have dropped RSS despite no ad-based incentive, attributed to digital illiteracy or vendor choices.
  • Worries about RSS aiding content scraping/AI rewriting; others argue scrapers will just use HTML anyway.

Adoption Challenges and UX Issues

  • Newcomers find RSS UX confusing: downloading XML/.bin files, no browser support, unclear how to “subscribe.”
  • Some think RSS is fading or “too old”; others dispute this, noting active usage, tooling, and advocacy.