RSS Aggregators

RSS is completely changing the way the web is used! Even if Joe public doesn't know it yet :)

Rather than go out searching for all the different sites, you can bring all the information you want directly to you in one place.
What this means however is that the tool being used to read the feeds becomes very important.

There are two main types of aggregators, installed applications, or web based readers. I prefer the web based approach as it then provides access to your feeds where ever you are.

I was originally using the first version of the start msn project at http://www.start.com/1/, but it was getting harder to use when the number of feeds got higher, and their development seems to be moving more towards a 'personalized homepage' application rather than an RSS aggregator (see www.start.com for the latest version).

Because of this I started looking for some (free) alternatives, and came across the rather excellent Gregarius software. This is an open source PHP application that you need to install on your own web server with associated database. (The Apache/MySQL setup on my myth box works well:) )

Once setup, this lets you add as many feeds as you want, letting you specify custom folders to group the feeds. It then maintains the 'read' state of each entry, and provides a whole number of ways to view the items. It also provides the ability to tag items, and search within the full item history.

If you want to try it out, there is a demo site available at rss.gregarius.net.

It is also being heavily developed, with new features, themes, and plugins appearing, including integration with Amphetarate for personalized recommendations. I think recommendation systems will become more and more important, as the main problem with RSS aggregators is the large amount of information immediately available :)

So if you've got the system requirements available, I would recommend everyone give Gregarius a go!