The Mac Orchard Forum - RSS Newsfeed collators

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The Mac Orchard Forum › Internet Applications and Their Use › Looking for an Internet application . . . › RSS Newsfeed collators

(Moderator: Drew D. Saur)

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RSS Newsfeed collators (Read 976 times)

bignose

Ex Member

RSS Newsfeed collators
Apr 30^th, 2003, 4:53am

I'm looking for a good RSS NewsFeed collator. I've currently got SlashDock which does the job, but I don't like the Dock-menu interface and the sites preferences dialog is an interface nightmare.

I have in mind something with an interface similar to MT-Newswatcher. Anyone got any pointers.

Incidentally, should there be a new section in the orchard for RSS collators?

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Drew D. Saur

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Re: RSS Newsfeed collators
Reply #1 - Apr 30^th, 2003, 8:19am

RSS aggregators are few and far betwen on the Mac, at least compared to Windows.

I have had one on the Orchard - AmphetaDesk - for quite some time. It's actually a server product, but one that provides a lot of power to the personal user. But there are indeed others.

MulleNewz is another offering that I cover on the "Other" apps page. Like SplashDock, it is a dockling.

Here are three for the Mac that I don't cover in the Orchard (but probably should):

NetNewsWire (http://ranchero.com/netnewswire/) is another popular offering, albeit with a three-paned interface.

BottomFeeder (http://www.cincomsmalltalk.com/BottomFeeder/), which - so far as I am aware - is not nearly as popular as NetNewsWire, also uses a three-paned interface.

Pineapple (http://www.postal-code.com/pineapple.php), which is in early alpha stages, seems promising. It uses a three-paned interface, but with a "Console" that lets you track and browse feeds a little differently.

You don't see many RSS aggregators on the Orchard simply because I think they are still too geeky and complex for the average user. (So, yes, you are definitely an above-average user

) By "geeky," I mean "not terribly useful." Why? Well, RSS is "cool," but people will still browse the Web to read information. RSS aggregators only make sense for people who browse a lot of news very frequently, and a lot of people don't do that.

That said, RSS is getting more and more popular, and you should expect to see greater coverage on the Orchard very soon.

You are probably correct in that it's time for a new category on the Orchard. I have been thinking about this for quite some time. I don't think that I want to limit this category to RSS newsfeeds however. Instead, I am thinking of something more along the lines of "Web Services Clients." But I need a less geeky title than that. Stay tuned.

In the meanwhile, I would honestly like to know if you think RSS has come of age for the average user. Please speak your mind right here!

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bignose

Ex Member

Re: RSS Newsfeed collators
Reply #2 - Apr 30^th, 2003, 8:37am

Drew,

Thanks for the reply.

I took a quick look at Amphetadesk. That's not quite what I'm looking for - in any case, Slashdock will generate a web page for me on demand. For some reason, that doesn't quite feel as slick as it should do.

I had found links to NetNewsWire but our company firewall blocks access to their site for some reason. I'll download that at home and try it there maybe. The other two look interesting as well, but I'm not sure about the 3 pane interface.

I think that the time for RSS has come (or is very close). Unlike you, I don't think that the applications are too geeky (and quite frankly a site that refers to the application TN3270 can hardly be worried about that!!!), rather I reckon that the barrier to entry is a) the number of sites delivering RSS feeds (which is increasing rapidly) and b) finding out about those sites.

« Last Edit: Apr 30^th, 2003, 10:04am by bignose »

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Drew D. Saur YaBB Administrator Offline I love The Mac Orchard! Posts: 9 The Mac Orchard Gender:	Re: RSS Newsfeed collators Reply #3 - Apr 30^th, 2003, 9:13am Bignose, tn3270. Ouch! You got me on that. I am not a fan of three-paned interfaces myself. Is anyone out there aware of RSS aggregators that don't use this paradigm?
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bignose

Ex Member

Re: RSS Newsfeed collators
Reply #4 - May 1^st, 2003, 8:11am

All (if there is anyone else out there other than Drew),

I pulled NetNewswire Lite last night and have it installed. It's OK, but not everything that I want.

Likes:
Can view all the feeds at once
Good list of available sites

Dislikes:
3 pane interface
Interface seems a little 'busy', but that is probably unfamiliarity
Can't add newsfeeds that are not in the supplied list

The last one is a biggy.

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bignose Ex Member	Re: RSS Newsfeed collators Reply #5 - May 1^st, 2003, 8:18am mea culpa, RTFM. You can subscribe to sites that are not in the supplied list - I just failed to find the information. Apologies.
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