Microsoft Want to rename RSS ‘Web Feeds’

Kevin Burton reports that Microsoft are looking at new names for RSS. At the moment they are calling them “web feeds” but they are open to other suggestions.

For once I think Microsoft are doing the right thing, even though the techies are up in arms about what they see as another example of Microsoft meddling. The average user doesn’t understand what RSS means and what it can actually do for them. In a recent survey Nielson found that 66% of people don’t know what RSS is and only 11% of people use RSS feeds. Forrester Research also found that only 2% of Americans use RSS feeds and Pew Internet found that 91% of Americans had no idea of what RSS was.

I have to confess that when I was first told about RSS I thought it was just for site owners to include links from other sites on their pages, not as a browsing tool. You only have to look at the effort the BBC have put into explaining what RSS is to realise how hard it is to sell to the average punter.

It hurts me to say this but I have to take my hat off to Microsoft again, as again they turning useful products into something that is accessible to the masses.

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