open web

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How Google helped destroy adoption of RSS feeds (2023)
2 months ago
- Google removed the RSS button from Chrome without notice, discouraging user adoption.
- Google acquired FeedBurner, then shut down its APIs and removed key services like email subscriptions, breaking RSS feeds for many users.
- Google killed Google Reader in 2013, claiming low usage, which led many users to abandon RSS entirely.
- Google removed RSS feeds from Google Alerts in 2013, only reinstating after backlash, but damage was done.
- Google removed its RSS browser extension (then reinstated it claiming it was a mistake), eroding user trust.
- Google deprecated and later shut down RSS integration in Google News in 2017, forcing users to find alternatives.
- Despite announcing RSS support for Chrome in 2021, no official launch has occurred, highlighting a pattern of neglect.
Judge Rejects Google's Attempt to DMCA Its Way Out of Being Scraped
2 months ago
- A judge dismissed Google's DMCA 1201 lawsuit against SerpAPI for scraping its search results, ruling that the law only protects copyrighted content, not general access control.
- Google's SearchGuard (a CAPTCHA system) was deemed not a valid technological protection measure under DMCA because it controls access to non-copyrighted compilations of public data.
- The court highlighted that Google's own business was built on scraping the web, making its lawsuit appear hypocritical.
- Google can refile a narrower case targeting only copyrighted elements like the Knowledge Panel, but the core DMCA claims were rejected.
- The ruling reinforces open web principles, preventing companies from using DMCA to block scraping of non-copyrighted public data.
Sorry, the open web is political
2 months ago
- The author expresses frustration that indie and open web proponents are returning to X, contradicting the political nature of the open web.
- Mozilla's return to X is criticized as ignoring the political reality of billionaire-owned platforms and a fascist administration.
- The open web is essential for marginalized communities to organize and speak freely, free from corporate and capitalist censorship.
- Privileged individuals, especially cis white men, should use opposition as a tool of allyship to support marginalized people.
- The author rejects Manton Reece's claim that opposition is not a principle, arguing that it is a necessary part of change.
- Corporations and the rich are the only ones who worry about political winds shifting, as they seek to maintain the status quo.
- True principles do not change with political leadership; what is right is right regardless of who is in power.
- Allyship must center on taking a stand for marginalized people, not just defending one's own beliefs.
Hate "The Algorithm?" RSS Is One of the Tools You've Been Looking For
3 months ago
- RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an older tool that helps users manage content feeds and avoid algorithmic control on social media platforms.
- RSS allows websites to publish new content to a feed, which RSS readers display in chronological order, similar to following podcasts.
- Users need to choose an RSS reader (web-based or app), add feeds by pasting URLs, and use features like folders and filters to organize content.
- RSS is effective for following news from major sites like CNN and The New York Times, as well as niche blogs and newsletters, offering privacy and reliability.
- Decentralized social media like Mastodon and Bluesky use RSS, enabling users to follow posts without accounts, unlike closed platforms such as Facebook.
- RSS feeds can be found in unexpected places, including shopping platforms, government sites, and via tools that create feeds from non-RSS sources.
- RSS exemplifies the open web, allowing customization and resilience against tech giants, promoting a free and equitable internet experience.

open web

How Google helped destroy adoption of RSS feeds (2023)

Judge Rejects Google's Attempt to DMCA Its Way Out of Being Scraped

Sorry, the open web is political

Hate "The Algorithm?" RSS Is One of the Tools You've Been Looking For