I’d written several draft posts on Microsoft RSS and deleted them all. The first remarked on not “believing your own hype,” the second realized MS RSS was to extend Office docs, and the rest were variations of the same thing everyone else was posting on. I finally realized, when commenting on Nick Finck’s RSS Ethics post, that the bigger story, “is the way we see them (MS) as a company.” RSS in XP 3, in 18 months, that big announcement thudded louder than the one for the super-hyped nofollow. Adding RSS lists for Sharepoint, great, the product will still be loathed by it’s users. Of course they’d add RSS to Internet Explorer, along with every popular feature that Safari, Opera, and FireFox offer.
How MS is engaging the bloggers via Scoble et al. and trying to play nice with an estranged developer community, that’s the real story and one that’ll continue to play out in the blogosphere and at the next Blog Business Summit.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
David 06.28.05 at 9:34 pm
I think ALL browsers stand appropriately among their rivals. But, the most important thing is this: stability, quality features, and enhanced usability equals superior browsing experience.
Some have it and some don’t.
Then again, their are users who don’t need, or can’t master the features and capabilities of the superior browsers. Just like some consumers like to ride “grocery store” bicycles and others seek out the craftsman built, finely tuned, perfectly balanced bicycles. Yet both consumers are happy.
You don’t even have to mention manufacturer names for people to know who you are talking about.
Anchorage, AK
-b- 06.29.05 at 8:32 am
Agreed and good point. MS RSS will be great for the “my dad” demographic and the live bookmarks metaphor in FireFox and Safari makes total sense to people, v. trying to explain what RSS is. Same thing with podcasting. Apple just made it into a killer app with iTunes.