Data Firmware

Seriously guys? Youre offering a completely free public Google service as a "Pro" feature? 

Google offers those RSS news feeds free, and you can add them to any feed reader, whether youre a pro or free user, using Googles own instructions here. Its literally as easy as searching on Google News and clicking the RSS feed link at the bottom.

And yes, Ive tried, you can use search operators to get insanely customized feeds, even feeds from sites that dont even provide actual RSS feeds (Im looking at you, AllKpop). These feeds are indeed handy, whatever industry youre in. Inoreader already supports (and has done so for a while now) a very convenient way to add Google News feeds from right inside its main search bar, for free, for everyone. As it should be. Google provides this service, not the Feedly cloud. It seems obscene to limit it to "pro" users. 

I get that Feedly did and does a lot for RSS, and that they need paying customers to survive. But the whole foundation of their product is freely, openly distributed RSS content. Making Google News a "pro" feature essentially is a charge for that free, open content. Imagine if following certain people on Twitter required a Twitter Pro account. Or tweets linking to certain sites required a Pro account to see. Thats crazy. The content is open and free, and charging for it (by suggesting users need a pro upgrade to see/use it) seems deceptive to me. 

Whats next, following RSS feeds from Reddit is a pro feature? From NYT? From my blog? From any blog not in a publishing partnership with Feedly? 

I feel petty for writing this post. If you like Feedly, use and pay for Feedly by all means. But on a personal note I am extremely passionate about what RSS is all about: a simple, free, organized way of following the websites you love. I hate to see any site drop RSS support, and honestly Feedly has done a lot to keep the idea of RSS going after Google Readers death. 

But this feels like a step in the wrong direction, and honestly Im nervous about the future of Feedly and its publisher SDK. Even adding a "Feedly button" makes me nervous (note that I have no problem with their suggestions for open-standard feed optimizations). RSS is inherently open and usable by any feed reader, anytime, anywhere. Consolidating control over the platform, as in encouraging publishers to add Feedly-specific content or features, even adding "Subscribe in Feedly" buttons (presuming they are placed in-lieu of normal RSS feed subscription links) is dangerous. It may allow Feedly to give a better experience to their customers, but only to their customers. The rest of us, who use other readers? My ultimate fear is that publishers will follow suit, drop standard RSS support (as some have done in favor of Twitter or E-mail newsletters), and RSS will finally truly die. 

Its worthwhile to remember that when Google Reader died, we all so easily moved over to Feedly... why? Because RSS as a service was open, transferable, free, public, cross-compatible. Thats likely why Google mostly dropped it. If RSS becomes FSS (Feedly Subscription Service), or any other specific companys domain, then what we love about RSS will be gone. Dead. Just another Twitter-like service. Keep that in mind when you decide which RSS reader you want to support by becoming a paid user. 

On the flip side, I could be totally wrong, and Feedlys efforts turn out to revitalize the moribund RSS arena, and the rising tide will raise all ships. Thats the ideal, but as the open web becomes less open everyday, I wonder how much longer well be able to enjoy the humble RSS feed.