Confessions of an RSS junkie Clo Willaerts, 6 February 2007

Phase 1. Browse (1996-now)

The end of browsing? User/consumer in control pulling content through searching pushing content through micropublishing and user generated content Growing usage and importance of search engines

User/consumer in control

pulling content through searching

pushing content through micropublishing and user generated content

Growing usage and importance of search engines

Phase 2: Search (2003-now) Growing usage and popularity of search engines from end 2003 on Users get better at using them “ to google somebody” Convenience and effectiveness Puts the user in control

Growing usage and popularity of search engines from end 2003 on

Users get better at using them

“ to google somebody”

Convenience and effectiveness

Puts the user in control

Information overload Google indexes 8 billion+ documents, images and items Google may scan up to 50 million books currently only available in old-world universities like Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, University of Michigan, and the NY Public Library Too many search results Search Engine Optimization has become a Dark Science Search Engine Advertising has become a bidding game

Google indexes 8 billion+ documents, images and items

Google may scan up to 50 million books currently only available in old-world universities like Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, University of Michigan, and the NY Public Library

Too many search results

Search Engine Optimization has become a Dark Science

Search Engine Advertising has become a bidding game

Phase 3. Subscribe … and we don’t mean “subscribe to our newsletter” E-mail newsletters are an old medium now Spam filters block a lot of them Privacy laws have increased awareness of users

… and we don’t mean “subscribe to our newsletter”

E-mail newsletters are an old medium now

Spam filters block a lot of them

Privacy laws have increased awareness of users

Phase 3. Subscribe (2006-now) Bloggers and other UGC publishers: Rss feeds and subscribe button OPML files as social currency: view the world through other people’s subscription lists E.g. www.megite.com The beginning of the attention engine race (Alex Barnett) http://blogs.msdn.com/alexbarn/archive/2006/02/13/531631.aspx

Bloggers and other UGC publishers:

Rss feeds and subscribe button

OPML files as social currency: view the world through other people’s subscription lists

E.g. www.megite.com

The beginning of the attention engine race (Alex Barnett) http://blogs.msdn.com/alexbarn/archive/2006/02/13/531631.aspx

Ex. 1: feedburner.com (button)

Ex. 2: rss to e-mail A good way to boost the readership of your blog (or any other online publication that has RSS) Free services: www.FeedBurner.com www.FeedBlitz.com www.Squeet.com www.R-mail.org

A good way to boost the readership of your blog (or any other online publication that has RSS)

Free services:

www.FeedBurner.com

www.FeedBlitz.com

www.Squeet.com

www.R-mail.org

Some of us enjoy the ride INFOLUST “(…) forget information overload: this desire for relevant information is insatiable , and will soon move from the online world to the ‘real’ world to achieve true ubiquity. Get ready for a click-and-know, point-and-know, text-and-know, hear-and-know, smell-and-know, touch-and-know and snap-and-know world.” http:// www.trendwatching.com/trends/infolust.htm

INFOLUST “(…) forget information overload: this desire for relevant information is insatiable , and will soon move from the online world to the ‘real’ world to achieve true ubiquity. Get ready for a click-and-know, point-and-know, text-and-know, hear-and-know, smell-and-know, touch-and-know and snap-and-know world.” http:// www.trendwatching.com/trends/infolust.htm

Others don’t… Information overload Information anxiety (Richard Saul Wurman) Infoporn The myth of “keeping up”

Information overload

Information anxiety (Richard Saul Wurman)

Infoporn

The myth of “keeping up”

Keeping up with that blogosphere Blogs can serve as Content Navigators, Information Filters, Trusted Niche Guides Decentralized, user-driven content publishing model Some blogs are influential Most are self-centered Many are: loud messy Matthew Hurst ( Intelliseek, BlogPulse) http://datamining.typepad.com/gallery/blog-map-gallery.html

Blogs can serve as

Content Navigators,

Information Filters,

Trusted Niche Guides

Decentralized, user-driven content publishing model

Some blogs are influential

Most are self-centered

Many are:

loud

messy

Matthew Hurst

( Intelliseek, BlogPulse)

http://datamining.typepad.com/gallery/blog-map-gallery.html

Phase 4. Filter The cure for information overload? http://machinereadable.blogspot.com/2006/04/cure-for-information-overload.html

The cure for information overload? http://machinereadable.blogspot.com/2006/04/cure-for-information-overload.html

Tip 1: Find the best aggregators Aggregators become increasingly more important . Finding the right person, business, web site, etc. who does the best job of filtering (attenuating) in a specific area adds time to your life. Ex 1: mash-ups of existing sites Ex 2: start pages www.Netvibes.com www.Pageflakes.com

Aggregators become increasingly more important . Finding the right person, business, web site, etc. who does the best job of filtering (attenuating) in a specific area adds time to your life.

Ex 1: mash-ups of existing sites

Ex 2: start pages

www.Netvibes.com

www.Pageflakes.com

Tip 2: Find the best trackers Free trend tracking tools: RSS: Technorati watchlist Google blog search Boardtracker E-mail Google news alerts Graphs: Blogpulse Alexaholic Professional services: Nielsen buzzmetrics (US) Wavemetrics.com Attentio.com (BE)

Free trend tracking tools:

RSS:

Technorati watchlist

Google blog search

Boardtracker

E-mail

Google news alerts

Graphs:

Blogpulse

Alexaholic

Professional services:

Nielsen buzzmetrics (US)

Wavemetrics.com

Attentio.com (BE)

Tip 3: trust the stars In any thing you need to learn, find a person who can tell you what is: Need to know Should know Nice to know Edge case, only if it applies to you specifically Useless Some of my favorite marketing/blogging stars: Jeremy Zadowny Om Malik Michael Arrington Tom Coates Ben Hammersley Seth Godin

In any thing you need to learn, find a person who can tell you what is:

Need to know

Should know

Nice to know

Edge case, only if it applies to you specifically

Useless

Some of my favorite marketing/blogging stars:

Jeremy Zadowny

Om Malik

Michael Arrington

Tom Coates

Ben Hammersley

Seth Godin

Tip 4: Unsubscribe to as many things as possible you probably have way too much redunancy in both your printed and online subscriptions. if you're using the right aggregators, they'll tell you when something is worth it.

you probably have way too much redunancy in both your printed and online subscriptions.

if you're using the right aggregators, they'll tell you when something is worth it.

Thank you Clo Willaerts [email_address]

Clo Willaerts

[email_address]