# RSS

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an ancient file format for communicating updates over the Web, and my personal favourite.

* [It's Time for an RSS Revival](https://www.wired.com/story/rss-readers-feedly-inoreader-old-reader/)

### Stubs:

* my curated feeds
* reader applications

## Technical Simplicity

From a technical perspective, like [Gemini](gemini://gemini.circumlunar.space) [\(HTTP\)](https://gemini.circumlunar.space/) it's grokkable with a couple good reads of the specification.
I wrote [a simple generator](https://ktyl.dev/blog/2022/6/3/rss.md)] for my blog posts, and am now working on [a simpler one](./feed.py) for the garden.
To start with, I'd like to generate it as simply as possible, from just a directory structure, but I can already see I'd like to do more with it.

I work predominantly in [Git](https://git-scm.com/) repositories, which, like a directory, or a garden, is tree-based.
My blog's feed has a chronological hierarchy, but at present it's based on manually creating and naming folders.
It's also very much a _published_ format, rather than a living one.
This is silly!
Instead, I'd like to structure my feed around a Git repository, as I think it'd be a much better descriptor of activity.

## Managing YouTube Subscriptions

There are many reasons to avoid the YouTube homepage, such as recommended videos or the accursed Shorts.
YouTube publishes channel-specific RSS feeds, making it totally possible to circumvent its subscription system entirely - including having to make an account - and keep track of channels one enjoys with RSS feeds instead.
Get a channel's ID:

1. Go to the channel's page
2. Go to the About section
3. Share icon under Stats block
4. Copy channel ID

The channel's feed is available at `https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=CHANNEL_ID_HERE`.