PureBlogging

Really Simple Syndication (often called “RSS”) feeds have become a growing trend within the blogosphere. Most blogs out there do have RSS feeds enabled within their content management system, allowing various blog readers to keep up-to-date with blog posts on the fly. This is mainly done through hand-held devices like cellphones and PDAs.

RSS feeds can also provide a way for you to view all the blogs that you read in one place, allowing readers a way to manage the numerous blog posts into just one system. To “subscribe” to the RSS feed on a blog which you desire, just click on the RSS icon () within the address bar of your browser.

The personal computer can also view and read RSS feeds as well. With companies like FeedBurner, RSS feeds have become mainstream within blogging circles.

I have provided a list below of a few free readers that you can download or utilize to view RSS content:

• Google Reader - If you have a Gmail account, you may use Google’s RSS reader to view your blog content just like you check your e-mail.
• FeedDemon - This reader presents your content in a Mozilla Thunderbird style arrangement, letting you sort your blog posts by folder.
• RSS Ticker - This is a Mozilla Firefox add-on that will let you view your RSS feeds in a stock market type arrangement as it scrolls across the status bar of your browser.

If you have any favorite RSS feed readers that you use, feel free to share them in the comments of this post.

Happy Blogging!

What does 2008 hold in store? Nobody knows for sure, but we can make some pretty educated observations. I’d like to offer mine. Feel free to add yours in the comments.

Here we go:

Video blogging will be bigger than ever

• More bloggers will start doing video.
• Online video sites like YouTube will expand their services.
• New online video services and applications will appear for direct recording and editing.
• Many smaller video sharing sites will die off, consolidation will begin.

Mobile blogging will become super hot

• Mobile blogging and video blogging will continue to converge (Qik is an example).
• More bloggers will be concerned about how their blogs look in a mobile browser.
• Travel blogging and news blogging will see growth.

Blogging itself will continue to spread and transform

• Blogging will continue to transform itself into the new journalism. Old journalists will continue to be bitter about it. More journalists will become bloggers.
• The design of blogs will continue to evolve as aspects of blogging weave their way into “normal” websites. The explosive growth of magazine and news style WordPress themes will continue. 2008 is going to see tremendous experimentation in blog design.
• Bloggers will play a bigger role in the U.S. presidential elections in 2008 than ever before.
• I think there will be rapid growth in business blogs compared to personal blogs as social networking takes over for blogging in some ways.
• The relationship between social networks and blogs will continue to evolve as new tools and services appear. Blogs will become more social, incorporating some of the functions of social networks.

It’ll be interesting to look back at this post at the end of 2008 and see how accurate it is. Care to add your thoughts on the state of blogging for 2008? You know what to do…

Photo credit: squidish under CC license