Making RSS More Usable: Attention

The Syndicator Blog from IDG (sorry, no actual author referenced) writes about what most of us are experiencing - content overload from our RSS Readers.

The author calls for artifical intelligence ... which isn't far-fetched at all and is just around the corner.

"But as my NetNewsWire (i'm a mac user) reader grows and grows and grows, I'm starting to wonder (like many) how I'm going to manage and actually absorb all of these feeds.
Do I need a algorithm that sorts through my feeds and gives me what Id normally want to see *plus* some stuff that's interesting? Artificial intelligence, anyone?"

The artificial intelligence is coming in the form of RSS Readers that will be capable of following what users pay attention to and then use that data to serve and recommend more relevant RSS content to them.

One of the first such services might come from Attensa who are focusing their RSS efforts especially on this field, and are actually betting on attention services being offered as background tools to run in the most popular RSS Readers, to thrive and flourish in the world of RSS Readers run by Microsoft, Google and Yahoo!

I guess it could be called AI couldn't it! We too are trying to solve this problem by creating a gadget that can be taught what's important, and can bring those items to our attention in a 'heads-up-display' while we work.

I don't think the key is bringing us MORE content that we might care about, but rather sorting through the content we are subscribed to and deciding which of it deserves a big system tray alert, or which deserves to just quietly scroll by a news ticker.

We're trying hard to solve the challenge anyway...

Posted by: Chris - Touchstone Gadget at January 24, 2006 3:45 AM

Do you think uptake will be greatly increased as the portals increase their RSS offerings? This is also their defence against deportalisation.
If they can offer clever, easy to use toolbars, search and trusted feeds then normal consumers will grow to love RSS (or whatever the portals end up calling it).

What are your thoughts as to how they'll successfully monetise RSS? Contextual ads for sure, sponsorship of feeds etc. are there any smart alternatives you've come across in your travels? I presume the hit on 'normal' ad revenue to the portals if RSS takes hold is a big threat???

Posted by: Robert Crompton at February 6, 2006 4:33 PM