[LINK] Web Services - Microsoft now supports RSS

[jeff.evans at iird.vic.gov.au]

Having an interest in weblogs, web services and likely future involvement
in syndication of web content, I was interested to see that MS (or at least
the .NET part of MS's products) now support RSS syndication.

>From Dave Winer's latest email newsletter:
   When Microsoft screws up, as you know, I'll be the first to report it;
   but to be fair, when they do something good, I must also tell you about
   that.

   Yesterday [1], out of the blue, I read on Tim Ewald's weblog [2] (he
   works at Microsoft) that they were supporting a format that I
   co-authored, RSS. I have been asking Microsoft to support this format
   for years. As I clicked on the link to one of the feeds, I held my
   breath. Would they support the spirit of RSS as well as the spec?

   When the feed revealed itself I rejoiced. A thing of beauty. Immediately
   compatible with my software, and with any other RSS-based aggregator. A
   true milestone, a BigCo that's not throwing it's weight around, for now
   -- letting the independent developers lead. A fight we don't have to
   have. Quite a nice day. Thank you Microsoft.

[1] <http://scriptingnews.userland.com/backissues/2003/04/01>
[2] <http://www.gotdotnet.com/team/tewald/>

XML Web Services Developer Center
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/webservices/default.aspx> has some background
info on Web Services addressing, etc., and this page written by Tim Ewald
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/webservices/understanding/readme/default.aspx>
gives the technical (.NET) vision of what Web services are about.

[As an aside, I think the MSDN page presentation and design does a very
good job for this sort of content].

Interesting that, like Macromedia <http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/>, MS
is also encouraging staff to publish blogs
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/webservices/community/blogs/default.aspx>.

At the other end of the scale, Dave Winer's own software, Radio
<http://radio.userland.com> is one of several cheap or free blogging tools
that can help keep the Web useful and help to spread information/knowledge
- or spread the crap, depending on how you see it :)...

Regards

Jeff Evans
Manager, Business Channel (acting)
Business Information Services
Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development
Victoria, Australia
Ph 03 9651 9590 Fax 03 9651 9725
Email jeff.evans at iird.vic.gov.au
http://www.business.channel.vic.gov.au
http://www.businessaccess.vic.gov.au
http://www.export.vic.gov.au
http://www.ecommerce.vic.gov.au



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