Saturday, June 7, 2008

RSS overload?!

Can there be too much of a good thing? Hmmm...... well... this is my first experience with RSS and subscribing to it with a reader. I've been putting it off because I was afraid that it would be too much. I already have a lot on my plate as do many of you I'm sure, and this just seemed like one more thing that I didn't need. However, being able to sign up for a reader like Bloglines really keeps all of your feeds organized. You can subscribe to the things that you are interested in and it lets you know when there is something new. As much as I love this, I wouldn't give up my newspaper. Many times there are articles that I wouldn't necessarily subscribe to but when it's in the paper I tend to read it cover to cover instead of just a few articles.

I think all of this technology can be a lot to take in all at once but like anything, you need to learn how to use it to make your life easier. So to answer this question about RSS overload- I'm not sure where I stand. I love being able to read the news articles that I enjoy in an organized fashion, but at the same time I feel as though I'm missing out on other happenings in the world if I don't subscribe to them.

2 comments:

We Love Books said...

“Many times there are articles that I wouldn't necessarily subscribe to but when it's in the paper I tend to read it cover to cover instead of just a few articles”. What an astute commentary on the benefits of browsing through informative materials. After reading your post, it is obvious to me that our attempt to control the amount of information we receive comes with a price: the curtailment of spontaneously inspiring reading.

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean about possibly missing things when skimming through the paper. That being said, RSS and bloglines has been a lifesaver for keeping track of everyone's blog we have to comment on. While I have found it useful for this class so far, I'm not entirely sure how much I will integrate it into my life outside of this class.