Getting Started with RSS: Why I Still Use It
"You're still using RSS?"
Over the past few years, friends often ask this when they hear that RSS is my primary way of consuming information. Yes, in this age of algorithmic recommendations, I'm still sticking with this "old-school" tool, and I've been doing so for quite a while – since 2018, to be exact.
The Initial Information Anxiety
Back then, my daily routine involved visiting multiple websites: 36Kr and Huxiu for tech news, NetEase News for current events, PMCAFF for product management insights, Zhihu for various discussions...
The first pain point became obvious quickly: having to cycle through these websites every day was incredibly tedious.
Later, I discovered that many authors had WeChat Official Accounts, so I switched to following them there. But new problems emerged: WeChat only allowed one article per post, and the desktop experience was poor. This was particularly frustrating for me since I prefer reading and processing information on my computer.
What's worse, platforms like Toutiao had algorithms that were eerily good at predicting my interests, with each recommended piece of content more engaging than the last. Before I knew it, I'd find myself mindlessly scrolling on my phone for half an hour. I began to realize I needed a way to take full control of my information sources.
Rediscovering RSS: Starting with Content Aggregation
That's when I remembered RSS, this "old-school" tool. I started with Inoreader to subscribe to tech news updates from sites like 36kr and Huxiu. This way, I no longer needed to visit these websites daily - I could see all updated articles just by opening Inoreader. Unfortunately, many websites didn't provide RSS feeds, which limited my subscription sources.
Then I discovered RSSHub, and learned that it could generate RSS feeds for almost any website - this opened up a whole new world of content subscription. With RSSHub, RSS finally became a complete replacement for my original information consumption methods.
From User to DIY
As my needs grew, I found that Inoreader's free version started falling short: limited subscription numbers, slower update frequencies, and the paid subscription was a bit expensive for individual users. I began wondering if I could take control of the entire RSS service. The opportunity came when I bought a server to learn Linux and Docker, discovering that many RSS tools could be self-hosted.
I started with Tiny Tiny RSS (TTRSS). It's an open-source RSS server that I could deploy on my own server. This meant I no longer had to rely on third-party services - I had complete control over my data. The deployment process taught me quite a bit: Docker container management, Nginx configuration, database maintenance...
Then I set up my own RSSHub instance. Now I could not only use existing feed sources but also add my own rules. I encountered many interesting technical challenges along the way: how to handle website anti-crawling measures, how to optimize memory usage, how to implement service monitoring...
As I became more familiar with server operations, I discovered more interesting tools. Huginn and n8n acted like personal assistants, capable of setting up various automated tasks: scheduled webpage visits, content parsing, RSS feed generation.
These tools allowed me to solve some very specific needs:
- Website without RSS updates? Write a crawler to automatically detect changes
- Want to subscribe to paid content? Write a script to automatically fetch it
- Rental listings scattered across different platforms? Consolidate them into one RSS feed
- Want to filter out certain keywords? Set up automated rules in TinyTinyRSS
Honestly, this process not only solved my needs but also taught me many technical skills: Linux server management, Docker containerization, automated integration and deployment, web crawling, API integration...
For the reading experience, I chose to use TinyTinyRSS's web interface on desktop, and purchased Reeder, a veteran RSS reader, for mobile use, synchronizing across devices through TinyTinyRSS's Fever API. This combination gave me a great reading experience on both computer and phone.
Of course, after launching PoweReader, I gradually implemented support for various RSS services, bilingual translation, AI summaries, daily picks, and AI visualization features. Now PoweReader has become my only RSS reading client.
What I Read with RSS Now
News and Updates: Tech news hot topics from platforms like 36Kr to keep up with the tech industry.
Tech Communities: Featured discussions from Hacker News and hot topics from V2EX.
Telegram Channels: Updates from various high-quality channels.
Independent Bloggers: While some bloggers post infrequently, their content is usually of high quality.
Paid Content: Various paid newsletters and member-only columns. Through custom scripts, I can read these via RSS.
Unexpected Uses: Recently while house hunting, I even used RSS to track rental listings. I wrote a script that sends updates as soon as suitable properties appear - it's incredibly efficient.
But Honestly, RSS Isn't for Everyone
Often when friends see me using RSS, they want to try it too, but I always tell them straight: RSS really isn't a tool that everyone needs or should use.
First, RSS requires you to have a clear understanding of your information needs. You need to know what you want to read and which topics or authors you want to follow. If you usually just browse casually and look at trending topics, traditional news apps might be sufficient.
Second, RSS requires time investment in management. It's like tending to a garden - you need to regularly trim the branches (clear useless subscriptions), water and fertilize (add new information sources), and sometimes deal with weeds (handle accumulated unread articles). If you don't have this patience, RSS might just become another "backlog" of work.
Moreover, the RSS reading experience is rather "clean" - no recommendation algorithms, no social elements, just the content itself. This might seem a bit monotonous to some people. If you're used to fast-paced content or enjoy reading comment sections, RSS might feel like it's missing something.
Lastly, there's a practical issue: many types of content are moving away from RSS. Short videos, some social media updates, or platform-specific personalized recommendations - these don't translate well to RSS.
So even though RSS clients like Follow are gaining popularity in 2024, I still don't think RSS is a tool for the masses. In the current era, it remains niche.
Getting Started Isn't Actually Hard
While RSS sounds very geeky, getting started isn't difficult - the key is to progress gradually.
Step one, choose a suitable RSS reader. For macOS or iPhone users, I recommend PoweReader (obviously), and if you want a completely free tool, consider NetNewsWire. For users on other platforms, I think Inoreader and Feedly are good choices. If you want to self-host, consider Tiny Tiny RSS, Miniflux, or FreshRSS.
Step two, start with familiar content. Don't rush to subscribe to too many sources - begin with 2-3 websites you check daily from RSSHub. For example:
- News websites you regularly read
- A few favorite bloggers
- Tech communities you're interested in
The key is to choose sources with moderate update frequencies. If you start by subscribing to too many high-frequency sources (like news websites), you can easily get overwhelmed by unread articles, which might discourage you from continuing.
Step three, establish reading habits. Spend a week checking your RSS reader at fixed times each day. Keep in mind:
- Don't force yourself to read everything
- Make good use of the "mark as read" function - don't let unread counts pressure you
- Use filtering and screening features to make content more relevant to your interests
Once you're comfortable with this reading style, consider adding more content. When the reading experience is good, you'll naturally want to explore more. RSS is a supplementary tool meant to help you access information more easily, not add to your burden. How much you use it and how you use it depends entirely on your needs and habits.
If you find RSS doesn't suit you, don't force it. Everyone has different ways of consuming information - whatever helps you get information more efficiently is the right way for you.