This week I read through various articles and watched some videos. The main topic that was covered was RSS or Really Simple Syndication. RSS is a type of feed that aggregates various forms of information like articles and videos into one spot in a readable and easy-to-digest format.
Learning about RSSs was super interesting to me personally because I had no idea how common they are and how much they've shaped the landscape of how we receive and consume information. The RSS that I use the most myself is definitely Reddit. I don't browse Reddit regularly, typically I use it as a way to answer very specific questions that I can't find anywhere else online, which shows that it does its job. If something like Reddit didn't exist to compile all of this niche information, it would take likely hours of manual searching to find certain information. RSSs usefulness can be even further enhanced with things like push notifications and sub-sections. Continuing with the Reddit example, there are subreddits for just about any topic you can think of, and you are able to subscribe to these subreddits and receive notifications anytime a new post is added. This makes it easier than ever to get information that is pertinent to us and our interests.
RSSs may be extremely helpful and convenient, but it isn't all positive. The way that information is gathered and neatly organized means that we receive news in an instant. This may seem like a good thing but it does raise some privacy concerns, especially for those with influence. One example of this is when there was news of a celebrity's death all over the internet before the family even knew. Those who have a lot of information being uploaded about them online have next to no privacy anymore because anything written about them is instantly aggregated and spread everywhere. It has completely changed the way we view and interact with celebrities, to the point where they are barely seen as people. As we move further and further into an internet-based world, this problem will only worsen and start to affect more and more people. RSSs are incredibly convenient but they can be a sort of double-edged sword.
Hi Shay, I found your example interesting. I do not use Reddit in my daily life, but I know a few things about how much information is provided there. I never would have thought having a website with so much information could affect someone in a negative way, but the last example you gave on the last paragraph is devastating. I like your perspective in RRSs.
ReplyDelete