Personalized Start Page & RSS

Start your day each morning with your own personalized start page. Get news, stock quotes, comics, weather and more when you open your browser. How are all these possible? The answer is Really Simple Syndication (RSS).

If you use one of the following services: My AOL, My Yahoo, My MSN, Google Personalized Home, Google Desktop and etc, you have a personalized start page. If you have a personalized start page, then you have an RSS reader.

Most internet users are using RSS indirectly without knowing the technology behind RSS. However, these users fully benefit from RSS because it enables them to subscribe to content very much like subscribing a magazine. The content will be delivered to the RSS reader the same way email is delivered to your inbox. It is really an enhanced bookmark for you browser which Firefox conveniently calls it Live Bookmark.

Recent research conducted by Yahoo! and Ipsos reveal that only 31% of the US Online population use RSS directly or indirectly. The number is not that bad, given that all major search engines are pushing the use of the technology. It might be true that majority of internet users do not care what RSS is all about, there is no doubt that they will join the 31% without even aware they are using it.

The Internet experience powered by RSS will be as simple as checking your email. The multitude of technologies may make them ignorant for a while but they will soon find their way into personalized start page and finally RSS.

For the techies