Jeff Random

musings and metatheory


Granularity Metaphor

Nivi offers a great metaphor for understanding the benefits of granularity for RSS content.

The RSS is the TCP/IP of Web 2.0 is a very interesting read, as is Nivi in general.


RSS is like an API for content. RSS gives you access to a web site’s data just like an API gives you access to a web site’s computing power. Most important, RSS gives you access to your data that you have locked up on a web site.

Every Web 1.0 company will have to decide what content they will open with RSS. For example, Amazon already makes their content like their book catalog available through their API. But will Amazon open up user-contributed content through RSS?

Will you have access to

  • Your explicit content like your purchase history and reviews you’ve written?

  • Your drive-by content like the books you have recently browsed on Amazon?

  • Other user’s content such as book reviews?

I believe I heard Jon Udell say that the winners of the Web 2.0 orgy will be the sites that don’t lock up user-contributed content. Instead, the winners will create a compelling ecosystem for you to store your content and bring in your content from other sites via RSS. Food for thought.

Note: This is Part 3 of a continuing series called RSS is the TCP/IP of Web 2.0. You may also like Parts 1 and 2.

Published by r8ndom, on September 6th, 2005 at 10:24 pm. Filled under: Media 2.0,Metatheory,Personalized Content,Posts5 Comments

5 Responses to “Granularity Metaphor”

  1. I can’t be bothered with anything these days, but such is life. I don’t care. So it goes. More or less nothing seems worth thinking about. I’ve just been hanging out waiting for something to happen, but that’s how it is.

    Comment by Greg Guepy on April 26, 2006 at 9:51 am



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    Comment by Mary on April 27, 2006 at 11:01 pm



  3. I can’t be bothered with anything these days, but such is life. I don’t care. So it goes. More or less nothing seems worth thinking about. I’ve just been hanging out waiting for something to happen, but that’s how it is.

    Comment by Kevin on April 29, 2006 at 3:34 am



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