Some suggestions for RSS .92

[Tristan Louis <tristan@dorsai.org>]

I'd like to suggest a few optional additions to the specification. Here
are some ideas I'd like to throw around for discussion:

At the item level:

<date></date>: This would allow us to specify a particular
date for an item. I think it would be nice for those of us who have
several days' worth of content in their RDF channel.

At the channel level:

These could be encapsulated in to an <external></external>
section that would include all links to outside of the channel.

<about></about> : Much like <link></link> points
to the page the channel is for <about></about> could point to
a page of information about this channel. this could link to a FAQ or
more information about the channel.

<wireless></wireless>: Points to a page where wireless
devices can go. 

<broadband></broadband>: Points to a page where broadband
devices can go.

<narrowband></narrowband>: Points to a page where narrowband
devices (browsers for blind people, text-only browsers, etc..) can
go

<p3></p3>: Points to a P3P page to check the privacy
rules

<sound></sound>: Points to either a VXML source file (which
can be read by a VXML browser) or a sound file. For example, it could
serve up a radio feed related to this story.

<video></video>: Same as above with video or SMIL file.

That said, here's what a source could look like (changes are bolded and
URLs are fictional (but I cut and pasted my .91 channel content for speed
reasons)):

--------------  Suggested RSS .92 code starts here
--------------------

<?xml version="1.0" ?> 
<!DOCTYPE NewDocTypeLinkGoesHere> 
<rss version="0.92">

<channel>

        

<header>

        

        

<managingEditor>tnl@tnl.net</managingEditor>

        

        

<copyright>Copyright
1999-present, Tristan Louis.</copyright>

        

        

<title>TNL.net
Newsletter</title>

        

        

<description>Technology
News from Tristan Louis</description>

        

        

<language>en-us</language>

        

        

<rating></rating>

        

</header>

        

<image>

        

        

<title>TNL.net</title>

        

        

<url>http://www.tnl.net/presentation/images/TNLpalmlogo.gif</url>

        

        

<width>125</width>

        

        

<height>44</height>

        

        

<description>Technology
News from Tristan Louis</description>

        

</image>

        <external>
                <link>http://www.tnl.net</link>
                <about>http://www.tnl.net/about/</about>
                <wireless>http://wap.tnl.net</wireless>
                <broadband>http://www.tnl.net/100Megabytepage.html</broadband>
                <narrowband>http://www.tnl.net/forreallylightcontentpage.html</narrowband>
                <p3>http://www.tnl.net/p3p.xml</p3>
                <sound>http://www.tnl.net/myvoicebasedchannel.vxml</sound>
                <video>http://www.tnl.net/myvideofeed.smil</video>
        </external>

        

<item>

        

        

<title>Story
1</title>

        

        

<link>http://www.tnl.net/newsletter/anewstory.html</link>

        

        

<description>Can
you believe this. We're actually describing the content of the link
here</description>

                <date>10/13/2000</date>

        

</item>

        

<item>

        

        

<title>Some
older story</title>

        

        

<link>http://www.tnl.net/newsletter/olderstory.html</link>

        

        

<description>Can
you believe this. We're actually describing the content of the link
here</description>

                <date>01/01/2000</date>

        

</item>


</channel> 
</rss>

--------------  Suggested RSS .92 code ends here
--------------------

As part of the deal, I'd also move the original channel link and image
link into the external field under a single link header (unless some
people can tell me where they have a different link for the image and the
channel.

Your thoughts on this?

TNL

PS: Full disclosure time - My interest in syndication is related to both
past and present. For starters, I have my own personal web site that I
use to publish a newsletter (and offer a channel). Providing an easy to
use format for summary distribution is a great way to increase traffic to
it and expose people to my ideas. 
Second, I'm starting a company called Moveable Media
(http://www.moveablemedia.com),
which is trying to bridge the gap between online and offline media. While
online syndication is WAY in the future for us (we're first focusing on
providing tools that will allow people to deal with freelancers), it is
something that we are seeing as a potential future arena for us.

| Tristan Louis             | Home: tristan@tnl.net      | 140 e. 28th st.          |
| Chairman and CEO   | http://www.tnl.net            | Suite 8C                   |
| Moveable Media, Inc. | Boot up, Log In,Geek out | New York, NY 10016 |

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