Comments on: RSS usage on Whitehall's websites http://puffbox.com/2009/07/30/rss-uk-central-government/ Adventures in government, politics and open source. Mostly WordPress-related. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:55:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Simon http://puffbox.com/2009/07/30/rss-uk-central-government/comment-page-1/#comment-1065 Simon Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:37:09 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=1024#comment-1065 To be fair Steph, that's nothing you can't do with RSS: just add a custom XML namespace. For example, I've used the Media RSS namespace to add author pictures into the <a href="http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/feed" rel="nofollow">DFID Bloggers feeds</a>, allowing DFID to pull it automatically into their <a href="http://www.dfid.gov.uk" rel="nofollow">corporate site homepage</a>. I can't believe I'm allowing this to become a format battle. It absolutely doesn't matter. One single globally agreed format would have been nice, but two is bearable. And hey, at the end of the day, it's all XML. To be fair Steph, that's nothing you can't do with RSS: just add a custom XML namespace. For example, I've used the Media RSS namespace to add author pictures into the DFID Bloggers feeds, allowing DFID to pull it automatically into their corporate site homepage.

I can't believe I'm allowing this to become a format battle. It absolutely doesn't matter. One single globally agreed format would have been nice, but two is bearable. And hey, at the end of the day, it's all XML.

]]> By: Steph Gray http://puffbox.com/2009/07/30/rss-uk-central-government/comment-page-1/#comment-1064 Steph Gray Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:31:27 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=1024#comment-1064 I rather like Atom too, it must be said. It's lovely and extensible, and yet as reliable to parse and subscribe to as RSS in my experience. For example, the fact that Twitter search Atom feeds include a separate element for avatar image makes it possible to do more interesting things with the feed when you display it - e.g. http://inboxlistening.com/app/ I rather like Atom too, it must be said. It's lovely and extensible, and yet as reliable to parse and subscribe to as RSS in my experience. For example, the fact that Twitter search Atom feeds include a separate element for avatar image makes it possible to do more interesting things with the feed when you display it - e.g. http://inboxlistening.com/app/

]]> By: Simon http://puffbox.com/2009/07/30/rss-uk-central-government/comment-page-1/#comment-1063 Simon Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:03:20 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=1024#comment-1063 I don't think anyone visiting this site is left in any doubt about my preference for WordPress, Hugh... :) - but I'm certainly not suggesting it's uniquely capable in this respect. There may well be equally powerful, or more powerful tools when it comes to feed generation. But in my opinion and experience, WordPress is the easiest to install, maintain and work with. Same goes for the Atom format, actually. I guess you could make a theoretical case that Atom's a more powerful format in certain respects; but I'd suggest that RSS is easier to work with, easier to explain to people, and gets the job done. I don't think anyone visiting this site is left in any doubt about my preference for WordPress, Hugh... :) - but I'm certainly not suggesting it's uniquely capable in this respect. There may well be equally powerful, or more powerful tools when it comes to feed generation. But in my opinion and experience, WordPress is the easiest to install, maintain and work with.

Same goes for the Atom format, actually. I guess you could make a theoretical case that Atom's a more powerful format in certain respects; but I'd suggest that RSS is easier to work with, easier to explain to people, and gets the job done.

]]> By: Hugh Barnes http://puffbox.com/2009/07/30/rss-uk-central-government/comment-page-1/#comment-1062 Hugh Barnes Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:36:21 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=1024#comment-1062 There are such things as Atom feeds. Please be more inclusive in the language you use. And please don't present wordpress as an almost unique blogging / feed generation system. It ain't. Apart from these grumbles, I love that you've shone a light on this and the rigour with which you've done it. Much needed, thank you. There are such things as Atom feeds. Please be more inclusive in the language you use.

And please don't present wordpress as an almost unique blogging / feed generation system. It ain't.

Apart from these grumbles, I love that you've shone a light on this and the rigour with which you've done it. Much needed, thank you.

]]> By: Steph Gray http://puffbox.com/2009/07/30/rss-uk-central-government/comment-page-1/#comment-1061 Steph Gray Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:05:44 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=1024#comment-1061 Well yes BIS *is* using NDS for news, but our announcements on the home page are available as a full text, Feedburner-powered feed (and email subscription). And surely we should get some kind of bonus point for a Pipes-powered speeches feed? ;-) Well yes BIS *is* using NDS for news, but our announcements on the home page are available as a full text, Feedburner-powered feed (and email subscription). And surely we should get some kind of bonus point for a Pipes-powered speeches feed? ;-)

]]> By: Tony Hirst http://puffbox.com/2009/07/30/rss-uk-central-government/comment-page-1/#comment-1060 Tony Hirst Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:52:26 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=1024#comment-1060 SOme time ago i pulled together a script that spewed out a report on 404 pages and autodisoverable feeds from government departments http://ouseful.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/404-page-not-found-error-pages-for-uk-government-departments/ with the report here: http://ouseful.open.ac.uk/iwmw/ukgovdeptAudit.php SOme time ago i pulled together a script that spewed out a report on 404 pages and autodisoverable feeds from government departments

http://ouseful.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/404-page-not-found-error-pages-for-uk-government-departments/

with the report here:
http://ouseful.open.ac.uk/iwmw/ukgovdeptAudit.php

]]> By: Whitehall Webby http://puffbox.com/2009/07/30/rss-uk-central-government/comment-page-1/#comment-1059 Whitehall Webby Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:58:06 +0000 http://puffbox.com/?p=1024#comment-1059 The reason I suspect that most aren't making use of the NDS service is that it is (was?) flakey and didn't deliver a consistent service (and of course as you know, historically there was reluctance from COI to offer it without a charge- that has changed now thank goodness). But realistically long term there is no reason why that shouldn't be the delivery channel for govt news as its established and has the infrastructure. The reason I suspect that most aren't making use of the NDS service is that it is (was?) flakey and didn't deliver a consistent service (and of course as you know, historically there was reluctance from COI to offer it without a charge- that has changed now thank goodness). But realistically long term there is no reason why that shouldn't be the delivery channel for govt news as its established and has the infrastructure.

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