Wanted: A Few Good Editors
As you probably know by now, Google is offering up their own online RSS/Atom Reader. Intriguing, to be sure, but there are scores of free readers for every platform and use case imaginable.
What we don’t see much of are free RSS/Atom editors. I don’t mean feed generators, like blogger software that turns posts into RSS. Nor do I mean those one-off online “fill in the form to make a feed” RSS generators. I’m talking about robust, desktop editors that support enclosures, version control, the whole ball of wax. Something like the excellent payware FeedForAll, but free for all.
So I’ve spent some time sampling the somewhat anemic fare of freeware feed editors/publishers. I have stood up a page to maintain a list of reviews:
Not surprisingly, I haven’t found a freeware Atom editor yet, but I’m anticipating the new Atom Publishing Protocol will eventually motivate some great freeware and open source products. I intend to keep this page up-to-date as versions change and more products become available. Hope the resource proves helpful to you.
October 18th, 2005 at 15:24
I’s starting to play with Google’s Reader. What makes it intriguing is that it once again tries to make a case for web-based applications (web 2.0) that can function just as smoothly and quickly as a client-based application. Slowness and lack of features has always been my reason for leaning more towards a client-based alternative. The trade-off, of course, is that I may have feeds saved locally in my client application and have to go through the ordeal of synching my saved items with my office client, home client, etc.
Of course Google’s early iteration is stripped down, but the whole AJAX craze is a craze because it appears to promise the migration of all applications to the web. Despite some initial slowness adding feeds, I am amazed at how quickly Google Reader allows me to dynamically scroll through feed posts. The question is, can Web 2.0 applications allow for as many features and customization options as their client-based counterparts?
It will be interesting to see if Google’s and Sun’s partnership will eventually lead to a free web-based Office destroyer…