RSS? Royal Society of Surgeons?

An inspired video team brings a camera to the streets of Sutton, dubbed 'the most average town in England', to investigate to what extent most people understand RSS. The result is enlightening, though perhaps not that surprising. I know for a fact that I'd get similar results if I were to ask the same question to a number of editors (via Adam Tinworth).

Comments

[ashok]

What is the full significance of RSS?

I don't subscribe to any major media source's feed - I use my RSS reader on a more personal level, to keep in track of bloggers like yourself.

Now I suppose, in a sense, that could be "small media" which has a relevance distinct from "big media." I still need CNN and the AP and all those to break stories. But I'd rather hear what those around me have to say, and I'm happy to say that my RSS reader is filled with intelligent voices far, far better than most op-ed columnists. And there, the comparison is literal, I think.

But anyway, I shouldn't be ranting, since I decided to comment here to get your thoughts.

[Kristine]

God, wish I could sum up the full impact of RSS. I think it will change things quite radically and contribute to make society more fragmented, I guess. I mean this in a good way though, following on the hypothesis of the Day of the Longtail, which I assume you've read (if not, go read).

With RSS you can choose to a much greater extent than before what news you want to subscribe to, so media junkie that I am I religiously subscribe to the media sections of my favourite newspapers/ trade journals, and on busy days I don't read anything but this. I also subscribe to a number of blogs that I appreciate very much, and now that you mention it, when I'm not too stressed, I find reading those blogs more important than all the 'mainstream news'. Key here though, is that you can diversify, you don't have to read that whole blody paper (which I still enjoy on my rare slow days), just what you're interested in.

On the blogs that I read, I guess I read them mostly for good and provocative perspectives on issues I'm passionate about, like media, philosophy, the changing world, politics etc, with media taking precedent. I do like those blogs that make me think, but on my most busy days I often feel like I'm too busy to do exactly that, to think. I'll blog more about thinking blogs soon though, time allowing.