RSS is merely a delivery vehicle. RSS doesn’t need to deliver news or even timely content. RSS is merely an alternative to using a browser, if that will help you visualize it. In order for RSS to work most effectively, there needs to be an engine behind it, supporting the markup of the XML file, and doing all of the enclosing.
Modern blogging platforms “recognize” when a blogger uploads an MP3 file, and package it to interoperate with iTunes and work with an iPod. The same thing happens with photos and videos, as well. The magic is not in the XML file – the RSS feed – but in the interpreter. RSS and ATOM guarantee interoperability with readers. Anything that can be consumed online can be either converted or enclosed into an RSS feed. Mash up applications like Kapow extend the reach into databases, documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, files, IMs, and email means that nearly everything can be delivered via RSS, if that’s what you fancy doing.
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