Back in 2005 5% of the Internet users said they were using RSS aggregators or XML readers to get the news and other information delivered from blogs and content-rich Web sites as it is posted online (according to the Pew Internet Project).
Feedburner recently reported that they track around 60 million RSS subscribers. Even if we bump that number to 70 million RSS users (counting people that use RSS with other applications or platforms) this would still convert to a meager 5,4% of the Internet users around the world, as of today.
What is the takeaway message? Only a very small percentage of the Internet population is aware of the RSS format and its benefits.
If you have been using RSS (either to syndicate content or to consume it) you know how useful the format is. It allows users to stay connected with different websites and applications, especially those that are updated regularly.
So it is a pity that such a tiny part of the web users are using RSS. The question that came into my mind was: is there anything we can do about it?
Yes, let’s create an RSS Awareness Day!
Objective
The objective of the RSS Awareness Day is to get as many people as possible talking about RSS and its benefits on May 1st. Bloggers and blog readers are already aware of the RSS format, but if enough of them talk about it perhaps the mainstream media will cover it as well, and the general public will get exposed to it.
If people start reading about RSS and how it can help them everywhere, I am sure that some will get curious at least to try it out. Over the time the usage of the format should pick up, and all the Internet users (including content publishers) gain from it.
How to participate
There are several ways to participate (none of them require that you link back here, in fact we will be creating a special site for the event on RSSDay.org):
- Blog about it: on May 1st write a post or article on your website about RSS. You can just mention that it is the RSS Awareness Day and link to some RSS resources, or you can explain what RSS is and teach your readers how they can make the most out of RSS. You can even write a poem about RSS, there are no limitations here.
- Use a badge or banner: We will be hiring a company (if you wanna help with the badges let us know) to produce several badges and banners that you can use on your site. You can use them throughout April or just on May 1st.
- Help spread the word: see the section below.
Help spread the word and win prizes
Since the goal of the project is to get as many people as possible involved, we thought about giving out some prizes to people that will participate. Anyone writing about the RSS Awareness Day or using one of the banners until April 30 (May 1st won’t count cause that is the event itself) will be included on a random draw for the following prizes:
- 6 $50 cash prizes via Paypal ($300)
- 3 copies of Landing Page Optimization: The Complete Guide ($300)
- a 3-month enrollment to the SEOBook training program ($300)
- 3 single licenses to any iThemes Premium theme ($240)
- 3 $100 credit vouchers to buy links from TNX ($300)
- 5 copies of “Killer Domains: How to Find the Perfect Domain Name” ($100)
- 5 free banner designs from MiniBannersZen ($100)
- 3 single licenses to the Mimbo Pro Premium theme ($300)
Update: I will be creating a website on RSSDay.org so that everyone can link there on May 1st. I will include information about what is RSS and how people can use it.
Update 2: The prize draw was slightly altered as well. It was prolonger until April 30.
Update 3: I just published a new post updating the list of sponsors.
Really good idea!
Yes, the banners don’t seem to render correctly on IE. They are fine on Safari.
There are many Online RSS feed readers and selecting 1 according to your needs is a big task. This leads to the comparison of these feed readers. I found a detailed comparison, including Pros & Cons, of some of the best Online RSS feed readers at –
The RSS Day was a great idea – a few days earlier I was involved with setting up an “Enterprise RSS Day of Action” focused on the use of RSS inside the firewall – see
Here’s my post (spanish)
http://www.nitosblog.com/2008/05/feliz-dia-cabroness-dia-rss.html
feliz dia cabRoneSS!!!!!!!!
Ping! Add the banner to my site.
I wrote an article on RSS on my weblog. It is in german and covers the topics, what is rss, what are the benefits, how can it help me on my way to self employment, and something about RSS marketing.
Find it here:
Great idea, thanks.
I’m in, i’ve posted the trackback since yesterday but i didn’t see it. So here’s the link :
Great idea!
I’ve already blogged about it here: http://www.alabala.org/480.html and here: http://www.novavizia.com/1900.html
Regards from Bulgaria!
Blogged about it ,
Mayday is more than just Another Day, it’s RSS Awareness Day!!!:
Hello just make my post regarding this campaign
Okay, mine is up here:
Count me in! I just recently started using RSS and I love it!
count me in – I love my RSS but I have friends who just don’t get it and won’t bother trying it.
Off to spread the word now.
Hey Daniel,
Here is my contribution to this RSS awareness day.
RSS guide for novice internet users. Celebrate RSS Awareness Day with us on May 1st
Hope many bloggers will help to spread this word!
Step 1 in getting the world to accept RSS… stop calling it RSS.
Join the carnival! It’s on my name
Kudos.
Great idea. We have posted a comment with links in a Spanish blog about publishing.
I’m on board! http://RSSDay.info
It doesn’t seem my trackback works… Well, the link is on my name 🙂
Dave, it will come early next week. There are new prizes on board as well.
Sorry for the delay.
The idea is great. Thanks for initiating this.
Quoting: “Next week we will do another post encouraging people to spread the word about the event, and publishing the badges and banners that participants can use”.
Well, the week is almost over… Daniel, just reminding of the next post 🙂
Good initiative!
Many people didn’t hear yet about the RSS revolution.
I tell my friends about it, how efficient and useful RSS is. Many of them never heard about it!
Great idea, I blogged here
I’m in for this. I know what I’m gonna write. 😀
Jacob, I will just track all the trackbacks on WordPress and backlinks on Yahoo.
Daniel,
What should people do for you to know about their entries in the contest?
Will there be a final roundup list of all the bloggers who blogged about RSS Day or on RSS Day?
To me, this just sounds like one great group writing project 🙂
I’ve made a pre-post! Enter me into the contest!
Anyone wanting to help with the banners please just head to
Sounds like a great idea! Will blog about it in my next post. Also, if you’d like me to help with the button/badges, I’d be glad to.
Banners should be displaying correctly even for IE now. Please let me know if you still see bugs on rssday.org
Great idea! I’d love to make a badge for RSS Awareness Day. Let me know…
May 1st added to my agenda. Good initiative!
Yes, the banners don’t seem to render correctly on IE.
They are fine on Safari.
Rob, what is the problem that you see? It is looking fine for me.
Very nice initiative! One that I’ll join on May 1st with a post Blogsessive.
Great initiative, Daniel! Your “Spread the Word” page over on RSSDay.org needs a little tweaking to make the banners show up right. I’m looking forward to blogging about this in the next week or so.
cool idea
Great idea.
Plugged the event here:
Interesting ideas, i still new in blog world, hoping to learn from you!
Yes any language is welcome.
thats a great Idea.. can it be in spanish??
I’m in! This is a great idea. Most people just have no clue, but once you tell them, they are amazed at the usefulness.
This was my post about it yesterday:
Hey, we announced this on our forums! Check out the link here, since our forum doesn’t send trackbacks… (oooh, isn’t that a great idea…?)
The RSSDay.org website is pretty much ready to go. I will post about it next week.