RSS Feeds have made delivery of syndicated content easier, I do not need to bookmark sites/blogs that interest me and keep vising them. Updated new content is delivered to me through RSS Feeds and all I need is access to my RSS Reader. It does not matter which aggregator I use. It can be web based (Google Reader), offline application (Feed Demon). I can enjoy the comfort of reading feeds at my own leisure.
Though, there lies an inherit problem with RSS Readers whether web based or offline ones.
Why I Don’t Like to Read Feeds anymore
It gets a bit taxing just to head-over to the client, have patience to go through the unread items and scan for the available feeds. Yes, its more useful than visiting each and every blog for new content but its equally problematic to open the aggregator to read the same regularly.
Most of use are too lazy to even to that, not because we don’t want to, its sheer human nature.
Alternative to RSS Readers
If reading RSS from clients if a problem for you, it’s a good idea to use email based feeds. That ways the cumbersome activity to going through the ritual gets a bit easy as one tends to read feeds when one check their inbox.
Checking email is more comfortable than checking a feed client, more over feeds are automatically delivered to your email address and if you happen to use a mobile device to check email on the go, its convenient to keep a tab on RSS updates just via your inbox.
All you need to do is subscribe to RSS via email. Most blogs offers both options to their readers, a RSS Feed and feed via email.
We at Programming Kid offer feed subscription via both the methods. RSS Feed and Email. How do you like to read your feeds? Have your say in comments below.
Ben
AnnNonymus
Arun Basil Lal
Bhanu @ HackingAr...
Jatinder
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Most modern email clients have the ability to get rss feeds into their inbox as well. You can also import your feeds from other’s such as Google reader. I know that Thunderbird has this feature. Outlook also may be having this. And there is no need to create a separate email ID for this.
The only disadvantage is that you have to place your feeds for each working machine that you use such as at your work, home, etc.
That can be a good solution Kevin but this whole concept of unread feeds freaks me out. Considering I have some 60 feeds, everyday I have around 10-20 unread items.
I disagree.
Guess different people find bliss with different ways!
Completely disagree. Feeds in email, simply messes my inbox. Why? Because with feeds enabled my inbox is always full, because I put some posts for later read. And when someone emails me and it mixes up with the feed and I don’t get to read it, because I am lazy to sort out my inbox, and I end up missing something important.
On the other hand, RSS clients (I use G! Reader), keeps all the articles I wanted to read already sorted. Moreover, I have grouped the feeds based on its category, Friends, Technology, Internet, Humor etc, and select the group and the posts based on my mood.
@Jithin
Thanks for your comment, I am aware of the fact that Feed readers help immensely and Google Reader does a great job but somewhere down the line most of us forget to check the feeds. As regards to the problems with Email Feeds, we have a specific post were I elaborate on the problem areas you just pointed out and have tried to offer some solutions.
I hope the following two posts interest you :
4 Reasons to NOT use Email as your Feed Reader
Convert your Inbox into a managed Offline Feed Reader
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