Do not get me wrong. I really like Plurk and this because: (i) It keeps you updated on what your friend does or is thinking about; (ii) It keeps you connected; (iii)Its conversation on tap. Each plurk that is a potential conversation.

And from a casual observer it is interesting to see how the conversation progresses. Maybe that is why it is addictive.

The fatal attraction of the dancing Banana.

But that is another story.

What is frustrating about Plurk at the moment is that (I)its alert system is not functioning properly. You get alerted whenever somebody sends a friendship or fan request but not when a friend posts. (II) It might also help if you can view Plurk via the clique function as well.

Anyway those were some suggestion on how to improve Plurk.

Also for those who are addicted Plurk it might be prudent to read this here: Safe Plurking.

Post from: EveryJoe

Plurk and what it can improve

Luckily, the ultraportable named Mr E was powered up. And it was just a matter of looking for wifi to get back into the Internet.

Unfortunately, Being used to the Internet and being used to it as constant companion one realizes ones dependency once it is gone. Specially when it comes to RSS feeds and specially when one uses an online RSS feed.

With the Internet connection gone the RSS Reader and its content is gone as well. So remember to activate the offline option on your RSS Reader.

It would also help if you had a desktop RSS Reader.

Post from: EveryJoe

RSS online and off-line

(i)If you do not check your RSS Reader for a day or two you will see yourself drowned in a sea of information that has filled up your RSS Reader. (ii) And you also notice there are feeds that you often do not read anymore (not as often anyway) and this also contributes to the growing lake of information in your RSS Reader.

There are two things you can do:

1. Click on the select all and then select Read.

2. Even, simpler just click on the Read All Button

One way to avoid this situation is to do a monthly search and destroy mission on your rss feeds. There are feeds that needs to be let go – to unsubscribe.

It is up to you to decide what the criteria you use to select the feed or feeds that must be unsubscribed. (i) For me a big criteria is always use: Do I read it often or do I make use of it.(ii)Another thing to consider is how important the feed is to you and (iii) Is the feed even updated?

If it is important, your read it and it is even updated then keep it.

If it is important keep it.

If it is read often then keep it.

If it is not important, you do not read it oftem and it is not even updated then throw it into the dustbin.

Makes one’s day easier.

Post from: EveryJoe

Getting into the Monthly Habit

It was not from the press nor from media but it appeared as random posts on Twitter and other microblogging sites. An soon this micro posts or twits find themselves reposted and syndicated by RSS to other applications spreading the news.

Does this make twittering or any form of microblogging a form of embedded news reporting? Sort of. However, The speed and nature of the microposts – because it is local and personal also carries with it some inherent errors or potential errors. Aside from getting the incomplete information, there is the danger of getting wrong information by accident or design.

It still is powerful with Plurk you can now add pictures and videos.

So there is still a need to verify and check things out but it does not take away the fact the microblogging and syndication by RSS feeds provides a great potential pool for news, information and knowledge.

Post from: EveryJoe

Twitter, microblogging and the news

It is a funny and interesting article. Something to read when your favorite Web applications or social media sites go down. Here is a list of common complexes and sydromes mentioned in those posts:

Comment Guilt
RSS Reader Sisyphus Complex
Twitter Rage
Twitterhoeia
Six Degrees of Separation Syndrome
Plugin/Update Confusion
FOOcamp Anxiety

So is anyone suffering from Twitter or RSS Depression?

Post from: EveryJoe

RSS Reader Sisyphus Complex

One thing we admit here at A Feed Is Born is that we are we love information – ergo spend a lot of time on the Web. So how could info-addicts and purveyors of fine RSS and other Web feeds contribute to the greening of the Web?

Here are a few suggestions from your friendly infophile at A Feed Is Born. Please they are suggestions bordering on a wish list, of sort:

Ways to be Green on the Web from A Feed Is Born

1. Get a solar powered computer.

Aleutia’s 4.5 inch solar powered Linux computer

The main equipment used to access the Internet is the computer. It makes sense that we should start here. There is one computer that was developed t run on solar power and it is the Aleutia Linux Computer.

2. Bring-the-Mountain option: Power your computer with the energy from the sun. If you cannot get a solar powered computer. Obtain a solar-powered charging system.

3. Host your site on a Web Hosting service that is Green. They do exist … here. Imagine your blog or site with following tag fueled by the Sun or Sun Power.

4. And last but not the least because we deal with RSS feeds subscribe to an RSS feed. It saves you time spent on the Web ergo saves energy. And better still be update on the latest green news by subscribing to Green RSS Feeds check out:

Greenlivingpedia

Ecofriendly Driver

Post from: EveryJoe

Green and RSS

Yes Ladies, gentlemen and gentle infophiles we are still in need for a number stout hearted individuals who can spread the word about RSS. Do you want to be one? Does Thou have what it takes to evangalize and wax poetic the word on RSS? Are you the RSS Evangelist?

Answer yes or no to these questions and we shall find out.

10. Do you have more feeds than Scoble?

9. Do you know the three or four names of RSS?

8. Do you subscribe to more than three RSS readers

7. Do you have an on-line RSS Reader?

6. Do you have a desktop RSS Reader?

5. Do you check your reader ten times a day? And despite all this … Do you check your rss reader for the eleventh time?

4. Do you have the sense of humor and humility to explain why RSS has more than three names and perhaps more in the years to come?

3. Do you get your daily news from the RSS feed?

2. Do you have it in you to teach RSS ten times to an individual and then do it again the next day and the nex day etc etc.

1. Last and most important of all, Do you own Seven T-shirts with an RSS Button on it?

If you answer yes to all of these questions then yes you are the One.

Post from: EveryJoe

Tech Channel Theme Day-Lists: Top 10 Questions for the RSS Evangelist wanabee

But why do the good people behind Daily Blogging Tips proposes and copyblogger support May 1 as RSS Day? And how do we go about celebrating May 1?

The reason behind it is that despite the increasing presence of RSS only a few people actively use it. Hence, the niche for Kawasaki’s AllTop and Quazion. As Daily Blogging Tips states it the objective is:

The objective of the RSS Awareness Day is to get as many people as possible talking about RSS and its benefits on May 1st. Bloggers and blog readers are already aware of the RSS format, but if enough of them talk about it perhaps the mainstream media will cover it as well, and the general public will get exposed to it.

If people start reading about RSS and how it can help them everywhere, I am sure that some will get curious at least to try it out. Over the time the usage of the format should pick up, and all the Internet users (including content publishers) gain from it. [Source]

I am all for it. How does one do it? Or how does one join the campaign for RSS Day?

1. Blog about RSS on May 1

2. Put an RSS badge on your blog or website from now till May 1. I think Daily Blogging Tips will be providing some badges soon or they might have already at this point.

3. Help spread the word about the campaign. Check back on Daily Blogging Tips because they have the mechanics on the campaign, plus some prizes as well.

What other ways can RSS be promoted?

Post from: EveryJoe

May 1 RSS Day?

How did this happen? Nobody knows. Maybe a group of students fought over it. And then it could be that someone decided the old and venerable art of origami. Who cares. What is important is the a number of people were deprived of the opportunity to read the paper.

Today, As I wake up one of the first thing I do is to open the computer and go to the Internet. From there I read my latest email and check up on my feed reader.Rarely do I read the newspeper. And this is because of the RSS feed

Around one hour I probably read most of the news I need to know.Using a feed reader simplifies things for me. To the point I have stop reading the newspaper. And it seem more and more people are doing it.

How about you?

Post from: EveryJoe

Is RSS changing our reading habits?

Here is the transcript of the interview with RSS

AFIB: Thank you for allowing A Feed Is Born to interview you MR RSS? Just what does it mean?

RSS: I really do not have any choice. You called the Seven Internet Jinns and Great ENIAC knows what else. Just call me RSS. Everbody does. Can you imagine being called Mr.RSS it often comes out with MRRSS.

RSS , my name, is short for Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0). It also means RDF Site Summary (RSS 1.0 and RSS 0.90) and Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91). But irregardless of what the breakdown of my name is. What is important is that RSS means simply delivering things. Hence, syndication.

I am the Internet’s uber-duper super and friendly delivery boy.

AFIB: Delivery boy?

RSS: Yes. Like Hermes or Mercury [Depending on which side of the Mediterranean your are on] I am the messenger, not of the Gods, but of the Internet.

AFIB: So you deliver email?

RSS: No that is a cousin of mine that is his specialty. I deliver all sorts of stuff and to number of individuals. I am not a one to one delivery boy. With my power I deliver to millions.

I deliver things from blogs and websites. Anything from posts, pictures, and music. In fact one of my first jobs was to deliver mp3 files called podcasts.

I am not a one-to-one delivery boy. As I said I deliver to more than one person. Unless of course the poor blog or website has only one or no subscriber.

AFIB: Subscriber?

RSS: Oh yeah. In order to avail of my services you have to subscribe to me. In most blogs and websites just click on the RSS icon, the orange buttons with multiple waves one on top of the other. It is like the Bat signal but for RSS – because once you sign up I am at your beck and call. As soon as new post appears BAM! I send it to you. You of course can read it through my associates called the Feed Readers. They store the updates from the me and allow you to see it.

See simple click and read.

I come with most blogs and most news feeds. You can generate me as well with services like FeedBurner and others. And I have benefit both online readers and publishers. For readers I deliver them news, posts, images, moving images and sounds and for online publishers, like blogs and websites I help them deliver their content to their subscribers.

AFIB: Do you like your job? Your calling?

RSS: Well it has its up days and its down days. Try wearing that RSS Icon 365 plus one day every year. The satisfaction is to deliver the item. There are problems but mostly relative.

And I mean relatives. I have this uncle you see who never leaves. And is too talkative for his own good. He goes on and on. He just dumps this and that on your lap. Uncle IO.

AFIB: Uncle IO?

RSS: Information Overload. You know the saying you can choose your friends but not your relatives. If you let him he just adds information, information and information.

I just filter and sift through what he says.

AFIB: So do you like your job?

RSS: Of course there is nothing better than delivering several things every micro-second on the Internet. My job satisfaction is high. All my Maslow needs are addressed. And I have help from my friend Atom – another delivery entity of the Internet.

AFIB: If you were to be replaced now by an RSS let say 3.0 or even 3.5 how would you like to remembered?

RSS: I lived well and delivered well? With RSS you can deliver posts and receive posts with ease. I made Internet and information life more simpler. RSS made life simpler.

Post from: EveryJoe

RSS the Delivery Boy