Here’s an interesting twist to RSS (Real Simple Syndication, a way to channel material into feeds) that shows the format could have a life beyond blogs.
iUpload, “a net-native content management solution provider”, has just introduced a free service that allows companies to avoid the legal pitfalls and technology filters of the spam world to send content to users who want it. MailbyRSS allows the company to send content out by email, which is then converted to RSS, which the subscriber can then add as a feed to his/her RSS feed reader. Benefits? It bypasses the whole blog thing, it is easy to update, it avoids their usual emailings getting caught in spam filters (or in contravention of the new CAN-SPAM Act).
Not a bad idea. Though a wonderful tool, RSS is still stuck in the slow (read: unexploited commercially) lane, but something like this may help push it out there. The great thing about RSS is that control remains with the user, who doesn’t have to hand over any personal data — even an email address — to get a feed, and can pull the plug any time, simply by deleting the feed. It’s the antidote to spam. Now there needs to be a way to build and manage RSS content, something MailbyRSS may help to achieve.