Comments on: Innovating Online Travel Sites

By: Bryan Haggerty

Bryan Haggerty — Thu, 03 Mar 2005 04:44:26 +0000

Well, that’s a big debate right now. In terms of usability, news readers eliminate the need to learn a site’s particular design, since everything conforms to a particular format.

But aesthetics also play a big role in how we interact with things such as Web sites. Typically the design will present a certain mood which an author hopes to express to the reader outside of what is said in the text. This is something that the news reader just cannot provide.

So there is a balance to be made. Personally, once I take in a Web site (aesthetics and content) I feel comfortable switching to reading it in the news reader. But I’m somewhat selfish because I don’t provide a full text feed for my site, in hopes that you will actually look at the site.

By: Ron

Ron — Thu, 03 Mar 2005 04:03:24 +0000

One thing i forgot to mention is that although RSS readers (like bloglines) are great in some respects (like keeping track of what you’ve read), you loose the whole aspect of viewing that site in its native context.

I don’t visit sites just for the content, but also for the design. If we just wanted content, why even bother with CSS?

By: Ron

Ron — Thu, 03 Mar 2005 03:20:23 +0000

I formulated it when I monitored how many hours a day were just spend aimlessly browsing my favorite links – and not actually getting shit done. That prompted quick changes.

By: Bryan Haggerty

Bryan Haggerty — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 16:11:54 +0000

Ron, I wish I had the restraint you seem to have. That NetNewsWire icon in my dock with its ever increasing article count constantly tempts me.

By: Ron

Ron — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 08:46:49 +0000

The way I use RSS is 2-fold (One in use and one planned)

1) My website will aggregate (and filter) articles from other sites. Like slashdot – only automatic.

2) I use the “Live bookmarklet” feature in Firefox to subscribe to an RSS feed at the Guardian, bugtraq, and a few other worthwhile sites. Sure, it doesn’t manage which I’ve read and which I haven’t. I’m not looking for a website -> email functionality. I like to have the latest headlines in my bookmarks simply enough.

To keep from visiting the same site 2, 3, 4 times a day. I manage my “blogroll” by organizing my bookmarks into “Daily” folders. Once I’ve visited a site (lets say AListApart) I don’t visit it again that day. I have monday, tuesday, wednesday folders. Its oldschool, but it works.

I synch my work/home bookmarks, So i only visit work-related sites (IEBlog, Apache struts stuff, video search news) from the bookmarks at work, and leave home browsing bookmarks at home. So although both bookmarks files have the same layout, they have different sites.

Check the screenshot

By: mike

mike — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 05:49:40 +0000

I find web-based RSS readers to be the only option for me. Otherwise, I’m reading the same news at home as I am at work or on the go. That’s DOUBLE overload.