RSS Tutorial

Blog Feed Considerations

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Summary

If you have a blog, do you want to generate an RSS feed? There are a number of considerations.

• Are Blogs and RSS feeds made for each other?
• Do you want an RSS feed?
• Do you want a full or partial RSS feed?

Detail

Are Blogs and RSS Feeds made for each other?

Blogs and RSS feeds are compatible because:

• Blogs contain a series of entries: RSS feeds contain a series of items.
• Blog entries can be matched to RSS feed items.
• Blog products can automatically create RSS feeds.

Blogs and RSS feeds are not compatible because:

• Blogs tend to be personal: RSS feeds tend to be uniform.
• Blogs can be a conversation with comments and track backs, but it usually takes more then one RSS feed to capture the conversation.

Do you want to create an RSS Feed?

Reasons you might want an RSS Feed.

• Many readers want to read blogs as RSS feeds.
• Even dedicated readers might tire of going to a blog to see if there is new information.

Reasons you might not want an RSS Feed.

• Some Bloggers do not care about RSS feeds, their blog is for themselves and close friends.
• Some Bloggers create elaborate, colorful blogs, and want visitors to their blog, not to an RSS feed.
• Some Bloggers create blogs to generate ad revenue from blog ads.
• Some Bloggers want blog visitors to join in the conversation and leave comments.
• Some Bloggers just do not want to deal with RSS feeds.
• Some Bloggers do not understand or care about RSS.

Suggestion: Decide consciously one way or the other about RSS Feeds. 

• If you create an RSS feed, then understand it is part of your internet presence, pay some attention to it, and encourage your readers to subscribe.
• If you do not create an RSS feed, then do not worry about it, and spend the time to make your blog more attractive.

Do you want full or partial feeds?

Blog services usually provide the capability to generate full or partial RSS feed entries. 

• Full feeds replicate the entire blog entry in the RSS feed. 
• Partial feeds replicate the first few sentences and then link back to the blog for the remainder of the entry. 

In Favor of Full Feeds:

• Readers of lots of blogs usually prefer full RSS feeds. 
• Some readers will only subscribe to full RSS feeds.
• Some readers who see partial RSS feeds, just do not take the time to go to the blog and read the entire post.

In Favor of Partial Feeds:

• Bloggers that spend time creating a beautiful or interesting blog, want blog visitors, not just RSS feed readers.
• Readers will visit the blog, and perhaps participate in comments.
• Readers will visit the blog, and perhaps generate ad revenue.

Suggestion: decide consciously one way or the other about full or partial RSS Feeds. 

• For Bloggers that focus on content, the full feed is best.
• For Bloggers that focus on the blog experience, the partial feed is best.
• For Bloggers that want to please everyone, offer both a full feed and a partial feed.