Week 4, Thing 8

I found the RSS exercise to be relatively intuitive, as I had hoped it would be. Although I viewed the introductory video, as suggested, I decided to avoid any other tutorials in order to see how much of the exercise I could complete by just stumbling along. I was actually able to create an account and add feeds without having to consult anyone or any help files/tutorials. Of course I went about adding the first few feeds in a less than elegant way before I discovered the simplest method. Noodling about may be a good way to learn, but it can waste time!

I do agree that using RSS can be a time saver, especially for folks who regularly visit a large number of websites. It's practicality, however, is limited for someone like me, who's Internet habits can best be described as intermittent. I use the web regularly, but mostly for work. My personal use is very targeted and goal specific, such as online purchases, checking out a performance schedule, etc... My primary sources of news are newspapers and the radio. I use the web selectively for updates on ongoing events or to learn details about major events I hear murmurs about during the day. I guess the best way to describe my use of various media is cherry-picking; I use what best fits my needs and habits, not necessarily the latest and greatest.

In spite of the fact that RSS may not play a big role on my life any time soon, I can understand why someone else might use it regularly. It borrows a time-saving concept from print media, namely home delivery verses going to the newsstand. Some concepts are timeless and technology neutral, it seems.