Tim Yang’s Wiki posts a list of things you can do with RSS. Basically, you can perform any task with RSS that requires search or information retrieval from a server. Automatically and repeatedly. Tim uses this list to convince people to start using an RSS feed reader. Because there’s more to RSS than just weblog syndication and news aggregation. 38 reasons, listed below.
I just couldn’t resist quoting the 38th item : ‘Ditch Your Girlfriend‘ :
- Get your girlfriend to download an RSS reader, get her to subscribe to your very special feed only for her. Post some items you would normally write to her via email. Do this for a couple of weeks, then drop the bad news. Expect the subscription circluation to drop off at this point.
I’ll list up the items, you can read and edit the content to them over at [the Wiki].
- News syndication
- Aggregate your feeds
- Display news on your website
- Display news on your mobile device
- Collect all your email in RSS
- Get RSS content through your email
- Track Fedex packages
- Get stock updates
- Get the weather reports
- What people are saying about you, your company, your products
- Music, radio shows, TV clips
- Stay updated on someone’s schedule
- Get cinema schedule updates
- Read your favourite comics
- What other people are surfing
- Automatically backup your weblog posts
- Get software updates
- Get the latest bittorrent files and p***
- Shopping deals at Amazon.com and others
- What your friends and family would like for Christmas
- Be notified of traffic conditions
- Be notified of updates in police and fire department logs
- Web metrics
- Virus and security alerts
- Events and happenings in your city
- Gaming statistics
- Search for jobs
- Easing government bureaucracy
- Create your own news aggregator page
- Keep track of your notes
- Find recent photos taken near you
- Build maps
- Make Tag Clouds
- All those sites without RSS
- Become a comment blogger
- Patent Searching
- Keep your acquaintances updated with your latest contact details
- Ditch Your Girlfriend