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April 07, 2004
Can RSS Relieve Information Overload?
Is RSS a useful means of delivering current information to attorneys and/or staff? Jennifer Klyse, an enterprise application analyst at a Washington DC law firm thinks so. She is in the process of implementing the Newsgator news aggregator for selected users at Patton Boggs. She also updates her project team via an RSS feed. That just two examples of the use of RSS in an enterprise environment included in the Econtent article, Can RSS Relieve Information Overload?
If you're responsible for Intranet content, you'll want to read the section on "fighting empty portal syndrome" which explains how RSS can be used to keep your "portals stocked with fresh, relevant news."
The discussion of the advantages of receiving information via RSS rather than email raises an interesting point. "RSS has the added benefit of providing a clean, clear way to subscribe and unsubscribe, something that is not always true with email newsletters" according to Dryden Marketing Group's Phil Gomes. "The RSS model puts the subscriber in complete control of the subscription process." That kind of control is something just about any email user can appreciate.
However, I don't agree with Lockergnome's Pirillo's statement that "Email is dead." Email, spam and all, is still an important mode of communication. But RSS can offer a way to enjoy public discussions on topics of interest in an efficient way and without the dangers of being inundated with information you don't want and didn't ask for. As such, I believe it's more of a substitute for listservs, discussion groups and email newsletters, than a complete replacement of email.
But I have to agree with Ron Miller's conclusion: "One thing is certain, RSS provides an easy path to content syndication, and this simplicity will drive people to use it."
Comments
Cindy, thanks for the mention! While my favorite aspect of news aggregation changes rather regularly, my current favorite feature is the comparative ease with which users can unsubscribe from a site (as I'm purging my subscriptions, this is particularly timely). Instead of jumping through hoops with an e-mail or listserv administrator, the decentralized process requires no notification or explanation. The control that Gomes mentions is key.
I'm also doing a bit more exploring with the search folder features in Outlook 2003; with Outlook-based aggregators, the ability to finely comb your aggregated news across multiple feeds is incredibly powerful.
Posted by: Jennifer Klyse at April 8, 2004 11:21 AM
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