[no subject]

iSyndicate offers headline blocks in two different XML formats: our own Express
                                       XML, and Netscape's RSS (Rich Site
Summary).

                                       Express XML Format
                                       An example of a headline in Express XML:

                                       <?xml version="1.0"?>
                                       <newsfeed>
                                         <channel cid="auctionwatch.tips.hl"
title="AuctionWatch.com:
                                         Tips & Tactics" date="03/13/2000"
time="08:45 PST">
                                           <headline
href="http://headlines.isyndicate.com/pscripts/hit/
                                           encrypted_headline.html" date="Tue,
March 14, 2000 04:08 PM"
                                           time="04:08 PST">Keeping
Records</headline>
                                         </channel>
                                         <channel
cid="about.talking_home_family.hl" title="About.com:
                                         They're Talking About Home/Family"
date="03/09/2000" time="12:54 PST">
                                           <headline
href="http://headlines.isyndicate.com/pscripts/hit/
                                           encrypted_headline.html" date="Fri,
March 17, 2000 01:48 PM"
                                           time="01:48 PST">Mean
Moms?</headline>
                                         </channel>
                                       </newsfeed>

                                       Netscape's RSS Format
                                       An example of a headline in Netscape's
RSS:

                                       <?xml version="1.0"?>
                                       <rss version="0.91">
                                          <channel>
                                             <title>auctionwatch.tips.hl</title>

                                             <description>AuctionWatch.com: Tips
& Tactics</description>
                                             <pubDate>03/13/2000 08:45
PST</pubDate>
                                             <language>en-us</language>
                                             <item>
                                                <title>Keeping Records</title>

<link>http://headlines.isyndicate.com/pscripts/hit/
                                                encrypted_headline.html</link>
                                             </item>
                                          </channel>
                                          <channel>

<title>about.talking_home_family.hl</title>
                                             <description>About.com: They're
Talking About Home/Family</description>
                                             <pubDate>03/09/2000 12:54
PST</pubDate>
                                             <language>en-us</language>
                                             <item>
                                                <title>Mean Moms?</title>

<link>http://headlines.isyndicate.com/pscripts/hit/
                                                encrypted_headline.html</link>
                                             </item>
                                          </channel>
                                       </rss>

                                       Because we offer the option to have more
than one source feed per page,
                                       iSyndicate's use of RSS deviates from the
official DTD.

> Bring them to the table, and ask them to make a contribution. I know the
> people at iSyndicate, we had philosophic differences when this stuff
> started, but now we're singing almost the same tune.

I will pass along the message.

> By going the "extensibility" route you're going to raise the barrier to
> stratospheric levels, you'll never see those 6 million feeds, it will
> coalesce to just a few sources.

I agree with that point - we can't make this stuff too difficult for people
to work with. But I like Steve Agalloco's comment:

> The core is enough to keep things simple.  Those of us that choose
> to make it extensible must do so by creating modules.

A clean, simple core, but not a closed core. That's the best of
both worlds.

--
Stephen Downes - Information Architect - University of Alberta
stephen.downes@ualberta.ca  http://www.atl.ualberta.ca/downes