Dylan Greene has some well argued points on why RSS is not ready for “prime time”. While I think many of his thoughts are absolutely valid, in my opinion they don’t preclude the use of RSS today.
Here’s why I think that’s the case.
The simple fact is that the best solution to a problem, particularly a problem related to technology, is not always the one that wins. In fact the best, most complete and well built solution rarely wins – think Microsoft Windows.
From a PR perspective what we want from RSS is a mechanism that can automatically communicate with our audience (journalists, analysts, customers, partners etc.) and inform them when there is something new and noteworthy taking place.
Why do we want this mechanism? Well it is an alternative to the spam-filled inboxes of our audience. It is cost-effective and very efficient at alerting your audience and delivering the content.
It is also a very effective tool for overwhelmed PR practitioners, who can quickly and easily keep up to date with the latest news and developments from key publications and companies.
Does it offer archives? No.
Is it user-friendly (or is my mother likely to use it)? No.
Is it interactive, offering the ability to make comments? No.
Does any of this matter for the purposes of communication? No.
Sure there are improvements that can be made to RSS. But the fact is, it is highly efficient at publishing information. If someone needs an archive or the ability to add comments then visit the website where the content originates.
The more we try and add bells and whistles to this thing the greater the opportunity for missing the point.
RSS works today, a growing number of companies offer the feeds, a growing number of journalists and customers are subscribing to them warts and all.
Of course RSS isn’t a replacement for e-mail and there’s no doubt that many people will treat RSS as some techie fad. That’s always the way. But we’re already getting the benefit of RSS and it can’t hurt you to try.
What’s wrong with that? Nothing.
Murphy's Law 