Comments on: Twitter Vs. RSS Feed Reader – The Smackdown

By: Derek

Derek — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 23:21:02 +0000

This is something I've been wondering about for a long time. I see Twitter as just a fancy client interface to RSS feeds. I don't use Twitter for the same reason I don't use instant messengers and for the same reason I turn the ringer off on my mobile phone: I don't like to have my stream of thought interrupted when I'm working. I'll choose when to check my RSS feed, email, or voice mail. In this mindset, Twitter doesn't do anything for me that an on-demand RSS feed can.A side thought is along the lines of 'not putting all your eggs in one basket'. If Twitter ever shuts down, many dependent people will be left hanging; RSS feeds are distributed throughout the Internet on many different servers with many different owners on many different ISPs.

By: Mote

Mote — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:10:19 +0000

Hey, why don't you just try this web based tool as a twitter reader http://www.litefeed.com.

By: Rafael

Rafael — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:11:52 +0000

You can use both at same time: the RSS of your homepage!
Feed readers like the Opera browser one can be adjusted to search for new "posts" almost each second.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:22:51 +0000

Hello. Thanks for writing this! I've been looking all over for an article about twitter vs rss feeder. I'm trying to figure which is best for a government Web site that has important updates DAILY.

Although it sounds like I should have both (there should always be alternatives/options), I'm still not sure which would be the best way to go if I don't have the time & money to maintain both. Not everyone uses Twitter, but then again, not every knows about RSS feeds either.

Anyway, thanks again! I appreciate it.

By: Paula Thornton

Paula Thornton — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:03:52 +0000

You contributed to one of my closing statements: http://twurl.nl/0popvv

By: Leah McChesney

Leah McChesney — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:00:10 +0000

I say they are two different animals, each beneficial in it's own way. I personally use them differently and wouldn't want to choose between them. Great explanation on their uses though.

By: Adam Nollmeyer

Adam Nollmeyer — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:30:33 +0000

I believe I RSS this site as well as the photopreneur section. I found myself here because I follow "photopreneur" on twitter, and a tweet today reminded me to check out this awesome website. Hey, my fees are a little "out of control" and when I have a stack of digital images needing to be processed, I have less time to "play" reading feeds.Likewise I've been to Jim Goldstein's blog before, yet having mutual friends on twitter reminded me of his site, and when I see him tweet I'll check things out sooner knowing that we have similar photography interests.In the end I say they both rock, for different reasons.Adam / AcmePhoto

By: Karen Swim

Karen Swim — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:12:56 +0000

Great analysis of Twitter and RSS. James' beginning quote and comment sum it up quite nicely. I love the social aspect of Twitter. When I receive links from people I chat with, I WANT to read and share them and I love being able to do that in real time. However, for those that only announce a post and never chat with me, I'm less likely to read (unless it's a topic that really interests me). I still use my feed reader to catch up on weekends but tweeted links do receive a priority read.

By: James Chartrand - Men with Pens

James Chartrand - Men with Pens — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:09:58 +0000

Hey, thanks for the link. Good rundown too, nicely done.I'll put in my two cents. I like when people put up links on Twitter, a little bit of self-promotion or a "check this". But in some cases, that's ALL people do with Twitter and I can't stand that.Make me WANT to click the link by saying something about it. Tease me. Make me curious. Don't just use me as your screaming board for your feeds and say nothing else.Putting links in Twitter should be sporadic, occasional and worth it, in my mind. If that's all you do, then you aren't using Twitter for what it's meant to be: social media.

By: Jim Goldstein

Jim Goldstein — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:34:19 +0000

It's because of Twitter that I found this, read it and replied so quickly. I do use both an RSS Reader and Twitter quite heavily, but I find Twitter adds value to regular RSS reader use. As you say networking and sharing information with like minded individuals facilitates getting high relevance information. The combination of timeliness and relevant content is a magical combination. Layer on the like minded individuals that read and relay that content and you hit online Nirvana. When I started using Twitter and feeding in my blog posts my blog subscriber numbers nearly doubled. I've met some great people through Twitter and in a way that I certainly wouldn't have been able to with just an RSS reader. Even though Twitter has its downtime issues I'm willing to endure it as I know I can reach out to my contacts in a way that is not possible through any other medium.