Feed List Format

Continuing to stick my neck out... I think using OPML as the format for 
this new file is a *good thing*. That means users would be able to grab 
these files and import them into aggregators *right now*. No additional 
work on anyone's part. It's already somewhat of a "standard" file format 
for passing around lists of URLs. Since OPML is already supported by 
every single aggregator on this particular planet, it will require very 
little work for us aggregator writers to include support for this new 
scheme. That's a very good thing. The last thing I need is to have to 
code up support for Yet Another Syndication Format, which, inevitably, 
will only be different from existing formats in the names of the tags 
(with the possible inclusion of a lot of extra syntactic sugar that I 
end up tossing on the floor anyways).

Feel free to tell me how writing a validator for OPML is hard. Bzzzt! 
Sorry, no prize for you. There are tons of validators out there already. 
They're called aggregators.

Feel free to tell me how it will be impossible to add new information to 
the format. What extra information do you want to include? If you start 
waving your hands, I'll send you to the back of the room. If it's 
important, lets spec it out *now*. Speaking as an engineer, I know it's 
often very tempting to over-engineer something for nebulous 
'future-proofing'. Well the future's now bucko. Get in, sit down and 
shut up.

Feel free to tell me I'm an idiot. I'll stick my tongue out at you and 
say 'I'm rubber, you're glue'. Neener neener. ;-)


Clearly the cold medicine is having an effect,

Mark
--
Mark Fletcher
Bloglines
http://www.bloglines.com


 

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