|
The combination of Weblogs and RSS create a global network of subject matter experts (SMEs) that bring analysis, insight, and useful opinion to a range of everyday topics and current events, but there is no easy, efficient way of finding, defining, or distributing the metadata about these sources of information. Without such a metadata tool, how do we communicate the real value of the weblog/SME network to new users?
I've been encouraging friends and colleagues to explore RSS -- either by trying Radio Userland or by using one of the stand alone aggregators such as NewzCrawler. Without fail, there are always two questions asked as soon as they begin to experiment:
1) Where can I find RSS feeds for subscribing?
2) Can I filter feeds so I don't have to read all the headlines?
For the first question I typically send them off to Syndic8, Moreover, and NewsIsFree to explore what is available, knowing full well they're likely to be overwhelmed. But I can't think of any better answer. Until they explore a bit they can't begin to understand what RSS is about. Also, since my friends and colleagues generally work in the same field as I do, I point them to a couple of custom feeds I scrape from industry sources.
The second question is tougher. My usual answer goes like this:
"Everyone asks this. The answer is sort of; maybe; not really. RSS aggregators are fairly new and only just gaining sophisticated features like filtering and grouping. There are a few ways to do some of it. Still, it's like spam-filtering -- brain-dead and lots of false readings." This is not very satisfying to new users. Filters are our default defense mechanism against overload, and they have trouble seeing past the filter paradigm to grasp the world of SMEs that the weblog/RSS combination creates.
Filters -- even good ones -- are brute force, blunt-edged tools. The most sophisticated filters we have today are the spam filters, and they are woefully inadequate. Filtering news items on keywords just isn't very efficient because it lacks context sensitivity and intelligence, especially when applied to news headlines. Filters mean I will miss items I should see while being forced to scan items that are irrelevant. Filters are still useful, they just aren't that useful.
More useful is the RSS feed from an SME. Take Jim McGee. His recent post on Murphy's Law and Design used work from another SME -- James Vornov. James discusses decision theory and associated topics. But a post titled Sod's Law?, or The Origin of Murphy's Law isn't likely to draw my attention, or the attention of my colleagues, if it arrives as one news headline among many. Jim's post, however, is titled "Murphy's Law and Design", and if you are at all interested in design -- of anything -- this will catch your attention.
Jim accomplished two things: He caught my attention with his title, and he added a broader strategic character to James' work. Because I know Jim watches key strategic issues I lent attention to his post (I also read James' work, but that's not relevant to this point.) And when I read his analysis of James' ideas they became more relevant to me. I could then go back and investigate further as needed. I would never have gotten any this had I been using a filter system to throw out all irrelevant headlines.
This act is repeated many times a day. John Robb and many others have written reams about the value of human filters. They are right. I have found a great web of SMEs and trusted sources that tell me what is important, relevant, and useful. Less and less I depend on news headlines and instead depend on my SMEs to tell me what matters and why. But it's taken me seven months to build my web of SMEs, and I find more every day. I find them through reference from existing sources, link-surfing, and blind luck.
It sure would be nice if we could shortcut this process for new users. And it would be great if I had a shorter, simpler, more useful answer for friends who ask me the filter question.
|
