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AI Search RSS Subscription History#

The answer references iFlytek Spark iFlytek Spark Large Model - AI Large Language Model - Spark Large Model - iFlytek and Monica's History of RSS Subscriptions - Monica AI Chat, ultimately choosing Baidu AI. None of them are comprehensive.

RSS#

The feeling of RSS subscriptions started around 2003, becoming popular in China with the rise of blogs. Previously, everyone mostly browsed portal websites and forums (back in the early black-and-white screen days, those who spent time in forums were not ordinary people).
When the Chinese online novel "First Intimate Contact" became popular, many people began to access the internet, and many internet café names were related to online romance, such as "E-net Deep Affection."
Later, various portals also began to develop subscription programs and plugins. When opening Sina with browsers like Firefox, Maxthon, and Opera, there were RSS icons everywhere, which felt quite trendy at the time. The RSS logo came in various forms.
Blogs broke the expert review model, dismantled monopolies, allowing individuals to choose whose writing to read and decide whether to publish. Forums or blogs in China still had some level of review.
Google was accessible, Google China was also present, and Zola even went to headquarters to protest, with blogs live-streaming images and texts. It seemed that video had also emerged.
Google Reader was very popular, but why was it shut down? There are many opinions, but the fundamental reason is the lack of a good commercialization plan and profitability. Later, services like Grab Shrimp, Fresh Fruit, and Zuo Zhijian's Thumb Reading also allowed RSS subscriptions. There were also many mobile apps whose names I have forgotten.
Then came self-built RSS subscriptions, with ttrss being one of the earlier ones, followed by freshrss, and now there are many RSS readers, especially on mobile, where I have tested dozens.
The requirements for RSS are:

1. No need for a VPN, fast speed,
2. Simple,
3. Ability to comment and leave messages almost seamlessly within the app. This demand for comments and messages has only emerged in the past six months. Previously, it was just reading without chatter.
4. Synchronization of subscription reading status, which is very useful across multiple devices. Many self-built RSS solutions on local machines and plugins are good, but the reading status cannot sync across devices.

Follow Xlog Ttrss#

Now Follow has emerged, with more social attributes like rewarding subscriptions with digital currency (energy).
Follow feels less effective than Xlog, which uses virtual currency applications better. Xlog settings, posting, commenting, all require spending virtual currency for announcements across the network.
With Follow, you can see who viewed your post through Follow, automatically leaving footprints. This seems neutral.
The messaging system is not very user-friendly; one issue is the Follow network problem. The advantage is that you can see RSS feeds generated by services like Feedburner. The downside is that switching to the original page for messages within the software can easily get lost, and the shortcut key for opening in a browser or new tab conflicts. I now prefer using the web version, at least to open a new tab for messages, which feels okay, similar to the previous ttrss.
Ttrss, that reader allows you to see the comment count label at the end of the article, and clicking it automatically opens a new tab anchored to the comment position. I think this is not difficult to implement, but the ttrss author was able to think of such small needs.
For image blogs, ttrss automatically displays full-screen large images without needing to click on each image. This is a benefit.
The downside is that large images consume more bandwidth and are slower than thumbnails.

Thoughts#

There are cycles. I remember there is a book that talks about cycles.
RSS has not disappeared; it has always existed, and it is likely to continue in the future.
Blockchain technology feels like an upgrade to RSS, with RSS broadcasting, pingback references, and reminders, while blockchain also broadcasts and keeps track of changes. Pingback merely informs the referrer and the referenced, or a small range.
The monopolies broken by RSS and those broken by blockchain are quite similar.
RSSHub subscriptions everything, also breaking the monopolistic closure of various platforms.
From the perspective of monopolistic platforms, are those who use advanced subscription tools and methods like pirates or plunderers?
The information cocoon has always existed; the difference lies in big data recommendations and manual filtering. It's hard to say what's good or bad. It's still best to read and listen more. Listening to both sides leads to clarity.