Google Reader Play fixes RSS
Some days ago Google launched Google Reader Play which basically is an universal RSS-reader. No need to subscribe to individual RSS-feeds the content is just there. You browse and vote (like/dislike) through images, video’s and infographics. Although it has been receiving the usual critics (e.g. privacy) I think it may proof a point. Lets take a look a closer at some of the non-technical aspects of RSS.
First of all RSS hasn’t turned out to be so really simple to use for most users. The notion of content-syndication is not a concept so interesting to users. I guess most people prefer to receive a newsletter of something they are really interested. Furthermore RSS requires a dedicated reader and you need to subscribe to feeds. Nothing impossible I agree — but it doesn’t mean people need or use it.
What Reader Play offers is a instantly working RSS-reader. The user can do what he or she loves to do: look and browse through content. I’m not saying Reader Play is perfectly designed nor that is the best reader around. But it makes RSS a bit more usable and sexy for that matter to the consumer.
