The constraint to widespread adoption of syndication

[Doug Ransom <doug.ransom@alumni.uvic.ca>]

I think the current constraint in the adoption of syndication is the 
lack of usable aggregators.  They are for the most part shareware, look 
like shareware, and behave like shareware.  These are great programs for 
those who are keen to get stuff working (like most of us), and don't 
mind either setting up command line arguments and batch files (i.e. 
nntprss, hoping v4 will be the ticket!),  dowloading dotnet frameworks 
or whatever else is required, and running  yet another client that looks 
like their mail reader but isn't (i.e. syndirella, sharpreader {which I 
personally use}, probably radio {i have never tried radio}).

Many content producers are not going syndicate their content with RSS, 
necho, etc. until the clients are in more widespread use.  There just 
isn't the business case with current volumes.  I feel aggregators must 
be integrated into corporate email clients (like MS Outlook) for 
widespread adoption at work, and into common mail readers like outlook 
express, mozilla, etc. at home.  Sharpreader, syndirella, newsmonster , 
etc. are not headed for the mainstream, because they have 
yet-another-interface that behaves almost as good as a mail/nntp reader. 

Once the clients get good enough that anyone can subscribe to RSS feeds 
in their mail client and the items appear in a specific folder,  and a 
simple and efficient workflow to find feeds (as simple a mechanism as 
google is to find web pages), people who aren't real techies will start 
using aggregators a lot more.  Once that is in place, I feel the demand 
for feeds will rise, and so will the supply. 

I am not sure anyone will expect to pay for aggregators either.  They 
don't pay for their browser, and except in corporate environments, don' 
t pay for their email clients.  I think aggregators will need to be part 
of the email client at no extra cost.

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Doug Ransom
House for sale http://ransom.dyndns.ws/house