RSS hasn't vanished but the landscape has certainly shifted in recent years. Here's a breakdown of the current state and future potential of RSS:
Social media rise: Proprietary platforms like Twitter, Facebook/Instagram/Threads, Linkedin offer an almost similar content aggregation of news that the user does not need to and cannot manage ... the proprietary algorithms take care of personalizing the algorithm for users who are not particularly savvy with continual, ongoing instant updates to the platforms ... so the CROWDS went proprietary networks like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin in order staying in contact with their less tech-savvy friends and family. The billions of people on the networks sort of completely overshadow the static, more user-definable nature of an RSS feeder.
Content accessibility: Many websites now prioritize direct user engagement, rather than making RSS feeds available. Since companies want to OWN their customer's attention span, the offering content ONLY directly to users engaged on their platforms rather than through RSS feeds ... where that feed might have to compete with 1000s of articles from the users OTHER choices of RSS feeds. As with the proprietary social networks, these websites are all about monopolizing and crowding out any and all distractions that the user might have from looking elsewhere for news.
Proliferation of different feed readers: RSS was a victim of its success; the widespread adoption of RSS in its first few years spawned all kinds of different specialized news readers and products/services based on configurable RSS news readers. The fact that there were almost too many feed aggregator options to consider tended to overwhelm mainstream users and there was a corresponding decline in adoption and awareness as the CROWD sensed that RSS had been a fad. Without the same Google Reader app that all of their friends used, it was easier for users to just pop open a Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or TikTok app on the smartphone and endlessly scroll through the feeds and shares of billions of social network users.
Having to manage the application settings of a PULL technology, like an RSS reader, is fundamentally why mainstream users have largely opted for the endless scrolling of proprietary social networks.
As a consequence of the technology, the corresponding cultural and economic shift [in terms of e-commerce and engaging with customers] is also why the smaller, but still significant businesses with many users will tend to be especially covetous of user attention span and aggressively try to drive people away from RSS ... even if doing so requires advertising on the small business's REAL competitor Facebook to get a chance to lure customers to their websites.
Of course, mainstream users also generally prefer the old the shoe or interacting with somebody/something they know. This is why mainstream politics tend to become SO POLARIZED ... mainstreamers tend to opt for the psychologically comfort of dealing with like-minded people ... tend to prefer not having to make new friends or learn new technologies or listen to new music or laugh at new jokes. They stick with things that allow them to stay connected with old colleagues, old friends and family connections.
It's not just that people tend to be backward looking, it's also that staying abreast of developments in technology, science or business requires genuine effort, focus and diligence in continually pulling the weeds to tend one's news garden and unsubscribe from as many things as one subscribes to.As with the proprietary social networks, these websites are all about monopolizing and crowding out any and all distractions that the user might have from looking elsewhere for news. Laziness conserves resources and people tend to develop and defend their habits of laziness ... they just want to be left alone to passively consume content and they don't want to control the projector from PULL technology like an RSS reader, they just want to sit back and watch the show.
Control and privacy: Unlike algorithms, RSS lets you choose which sources you follow and avoid information overload. Offline access: Download feeds for offline reading, particularly beneficial in areas with limited internet connectivity.
Openness and neutrality: Avoids the filter bubbles and biased algorithms that can plague social media. Signs of resurgence:
Revival of feed readers: Services like Feedly, Inoreader, and The Old Reader are seeing renewed interest, offering modern interfaces and integrations.
Embracing RSS by niche communities: Independent creators, bloggers, and podcasters use RSS to directly connect with their dedicated audiences.
Integration with existing tools: Services like Zapier and IFTTT allow combining RSS feeds with other automation workflows, increasing their utility. Future potential:
Focus on specific interests: Niche feed aggregators could curate content around specific topics or communities, offering a more personalized experience.
Integration with decentralized platforms: Open-source social networks and Web3 initiatives might utilize RSS as a tool for independent content distribution.
Evolving tools and features: Feed readers could introduce AI-powered filtering, collaborative recommendations, and improved discovery features to enhance the user experience.
While RSS might not be as HOT as it was 25 years ago right after its initial release in March 1999 ... but RSS;s core strengths - control, privacy, and open access - remain valuable. With the rise of niche communities and potential integration with new technologies, it's possible that RSS could see a a bit of resurgence [for people opting to spend more time looking at new technological and scientific developments and correspondingly less time looking backward with others on social networks], offering a viable alternative to the often-noisy and algorithmically controlled online environments ... but technology evolves user preferences and culture constantly ... the massive developments in AI may lead to things like AI-based RSS ASSISTANTS or butlers or information concierges that SERVE the users ARTIFICIALLY by conversationally offering users better customized control of what their feed looks like through and AI learning, recommendation and interaction without forcing them to learn how to figure out an application's settings might actually work. In the end, it's all about CONTROL ... the large businesses and their investors will always want to control the user's attention span and the user will always want to control the information they consume ... in order to deliver returns to shareholders, the large businesses will always want to monopolize the user's attention span and the user will always want to be able to control the information they consume.
The users who allow themselves to be controlled by the large businesses will tend to be the ones who are the most easily distracted and the least likely to be able to control of their wallets and bank accounts.