Comments on: Full Feed, or Not Full Feed…

By: Full Feeds FTW!

Full Feeds FTW! — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:23:48 +0000

[...] week, I had posted a little something about switching the RSS feed over to a partial. But you guys are so hardcore about your feed preferences, I figure I shouldn’t mess with [...]

By: Cory O'Brien

Cory O'Brien — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:28:12 +0000

I’m glad you decided to go with the full feed! I’ve had to unsubscribe from some great blogs because they switched to partial feeds, so I always feel like it’s a win when someone decides to stick with the full feed. I do all of my sorting and browsing in Google Reader, and it just doesn’t work if I can only see a headline and a brief summary. Plus, if a post is good (and long) enough I’ll open it up in my browser anyways, so you’re getting the best of both worlds.

By: Yves Roumazeilles

Yves Roumazeilles — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:30:15 +0000

I may not be your most common reader (I am tracking more than 200 websites through RSS feeds in order to feed my own web sites), but it’s very clear to me that the more consistent presentation and the fast access that RSS provides is critical for me. I understand the constraints it creates to you, but partial feeds are just not the same thing.

Essentially, think that you are building several web sites at the same time: one web sites at epicedits.com, and one RSS web site. If you cripple the second, it’s just one opportunity you loose. People going to RSS tend to be more technologically inclined, and if they chose RSS it’s not because they dislike your writing (on the contrary) but for their personal constraints of environment or taste. Don’t loose them.

By: Eric W

Eric W — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:25:54 +0000

I gotta admit – I tend to be one who disregards most short-form feeds. I’ll click through on occasion, but there’s so much info out there, I just can’t keep up if I take the time to click through.

Looking over my current feed settings, there isn’t a single one that is short nowadays. I’ve dropped ‘em all. Interesting, hadn’t really thought about it…

By: jessie

jessie — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:22:54 +0000

I came to this post from my RSS reader… never actually been to the site before. It was a suggested feed on google one day when I was looking for interesting content. Didn’t know discussions existed before this post. Please keep the full feeds. Your posts are interesting!

By: Brian Auer

Brian Auer — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:08:35 +0000

I do like the way they do the featured comments… maybe there’s a plugin to make that job a little easier. I’ll have to look around.

By: Travis

Travis — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:14:51 +0000

I prefer reading the full feeds in my feed reader of choice. It just makes it easier for me.

One of the things that I like about one particular blog I read (The Online Photographer), is that they update entries with featured comments from other readers, often with replies back from the author. That makes it obvious to me that there’s a good dialog going. I don’t know how they manage it so that the updates are seen in the regular article feed; you might want to ask if they’re doing anything special.

What I really wish would occur is that any feedreader would make it easier to join the article stream and the comment stream together in a more cohesive way. Then you’d get more feedback. Or maybe not. I’m not sure.

By: William Beem

William Beem — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:08:04 +0000

I use Google Reader and appreciate a full feed. Like others here, I review a LOT of blogs and partial feed is the exception. If I feel the need to comment, I have no problem opening up the web site and leaving my remarks.

Bear in mind that you can include advertising in your RSS feed. Others do. I’ve seen a ton of ads for Timbuk2 messenger bags on some other feeds, since I was researching them last month. I’ll put up with RSS ads more readily than some web sites that have ads embedded in the text of their articles, making it almost unbearable to read.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:10:23 +0000

I am MUCH less likely to read a full post if it doesn’t all show up in my RSS reader. I’d have to be strongly interested in what you’re writing about to jump to the full post on your website.

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:57:59 +0000

Sorry I don’t comment more. I follow over 200 photography-related RSS feeds along and while I would love to comment on them all every day to encourage them I am swimming along just trying to keep current on them all (I also follow 900 non-photography-related feeds).