Updates on the Feed- Hot, Fresh, and New

Netscape's original RSS (RDF Site Summary) evolved over the last decade into the "Really Simple Syndication" that it is today. Back in March 1999, computer scientist Ramanathan V. Guha designed the first RSS on the My.Netscape.com portal. This RSS feed could read and write simple RDF files, facilitating updates. While this portal soon lost RSS support because of lack of use, Guha collaborated with other computer scientists from O'Reilly Media and Moreover to form the RSS-DEV Working Group. This group worked with Dave Winer to produce a new and improved RSS with backwards compatibility. Because the original RSS was designed for Netscape, neither the RSS-DEV Working Group nor Winer legally owned the name and format. The team fought for the right to the program, yet to no avail. Determined to continue their programming, the experts produced RSS 2.0, changing the name to "Really Simple Syndication." This version of RSS quickly rose in popularity, and is the core version for most RSS feeds today. Nowadays, RSS feeds are used to update oneself with new information that comes up on sites that are being followed. Users create an RSS reading page, then subscribe to multiple news sources. These sources send news to you, rather than needing you to visit the sources. Simon Zafrany, 17, of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., says, "RSS feeds are a convenient way to get vital information on a mobile device... they're a perfect way to read headlines."Zafrany, an experienced RSS user, primarily used his mobile device to read RSS feeds. USA.gov says that you may use their RSS feed to, "stay on top of important government news and information."

1000 Tweets a Night for the Postless Man

Are Twitter and Facebook controlling the lives of their users? According to Facebook's website, there are currently more than 500 million active users, with about 50% of the active users signing on daily. These active users spend a combined total of over 700 billion minutes per month on the site. How do so many people manage to spend so much time on a single website? Garrett Konecke, 19, believes that "Facebook users are interested in upping their popularity to increase their statuses in the real world. Users feel like they need to be online because they don't want to be left out of the social loop. Because they see this as a productive, they do not see a problem with spending countless hours online." One controversial aspect of Facebook is the lack of default privacy settings on the site. Many users neglect to hide personal information and photos, leaving their photos open for complete strangers to view. This invasion of privacy has come to be known as "creeping." Jamie Williams, 16, offers a more seasoned Facebook user's opinion on creeping. "Users like to have constant updates, because they like to know what's going on. They don't have to actually talk to someone, or even be friends with someone, to know what's going on in their life. That's why we all creep so much." Although it may seem that some users seek multitudinous updates, there is such a thing as too many updates. The micro-blogging/social networking site, Twitter, presents this issue. Ally Yuscavage, 16, believes that "Twitter is just another reason that people are glued to technology all day long...for some reason people feel the need to tell everyone every mundane detail about their lives, when they should be out there doing something." An individual may post over a hundred "tweets" (Twitter posts)  per day without receiving a single page view. Why continue posting then? On Twitter, users may find some specific field that interests them and follow pages relating to that field so that they are constantly updated with the latest information. Those annoying "tweets" never have to be seen if one selectively chooses feeds to follow. Facebook, on the other hand, is a useful tool in communicating with peers, but occasional "creeping," whether you are the "creeper" or the one being creeped on, is inevitable.

Keep on Blogging in the Free World

Exploding in popularity over the last decade, blogging has become an internet sensation that has found a rather large niche in the lives of many. Why has blogging become so prevalent their lives? The answer to this question varies between bloggers, for blogs are so versatile. Blogs are what the user makes of them; they may be used to share opinions, thoughts, art, music, news, photos, and more. With all of this variability in mind, blogs may seem difficult to use, yet in reality, blogs can range from a simple series of "tweets" to a much more complex page of information shared over time. The freedoms in blogging should not be taken for granted, nor be abused by a blogger. Unfortunately, blog abuse (or use, in their opinion) does happen. Controversy about blogging arises because some bloggers exercise their First Amendment rights, sharing not-so-friendly opinions or lies about others on their blogs. Because they are so abundant, blogs may become a tool for drama in any social field. When making a public blog, I feel that it is important that the blogger remembers that he/she is exposing his/her posts to the world. With a certain amount of respect and tolerance, I believe that blogs are unparalleled in usefulness to each respective blogger. Personally, I have little or no interest in pursuing a blogging lifestyle, not because I dislike blogging, but because I have no purpose for a blog.