RSS Feeds for Forums

General pros and cons

[rogerd]

Does your forum offer an RSS feed?
Just one, or do you have feeds for particular topics?
Is the feed creating site traffic and return visits?
Has providing a feed created any server load issues?
Any other advice to share?

[David001]

I would be worried that a feed would encourage people to read topics, but then not contribute as the reply button wouldn't be right in front of them. (Assuming whatever reader they are using hasn't got the ability to post in the forum - and I don't think RSS readers do)

[linear]

I don't really have a solid opinion on whether this is pro or con, but here's some interesting observations.

I do offer RSS feeds for my forums, along with the
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Latest posts in forums" href="http://forums.example.com/feed.xml" />
elements in the head of my template pages advertising their presence.

Google Desktop is sensitive to/aware of these elements. The Web Clips plugin (included in default desktop2 installs) recognizes them, and polls the server for the feed on a regular basis thereafter. All this with no action taken on the part of the user. The default configuration is to automagically add web clips (RSS feeds) from visited sites.

If you have a busy forum, and your db load is an issue, you need to be aware that including such link elements in your templates could be expensive. If you really need the feature, create a static feed that you advertise in the link element, and update it on a timely basis to control your load. Various board software will differ in how "expensive" a feed is to serve.

Google desktop identifies itself as such in the user-agent header. It appears to be based on IE (I use FF and IE with different usernames on my forum--the forum "who's online" page shows the Google Desktop user agent with the IE username associated to it). However, it is aware of FF and does collect web clips from link elements in pages you view in FF. I can't comment on other browsers.

[desktop.google.com...]
(look under "sidebar" for the bullet titled "web clips")

I sure wish there were a more technical guide. I suppose I understand why there isn't one.

[YLinc]

I think that RSS feed is a must. I started to use RSS 1 week ago but already sure that soon all communities that will not offer RSS will be less popular than those who will.
There is a web 2.0 concept that creates a new way of interaction with a web, and rss is an important part of this concept.

BTW, Rogerd, could you tell how to subsribe to rss feed only from the Community Building Forum?
Thanks

[rogerd]

>>rss feed only from the Community Building Forum

As far as I know, WebmasterWorld only has the main feed available at the moment.

[Oldiesmann]

My forum has several feeds:

There are several other options (how many items to display, what format, etc.), but those aren't really important...

I don't think my feeds draw in any other users because as far as I know they aren't being displayed anywhere and I don't know if any of my members subscribe to them or not. It doesn't really create any additional server load to my knowledge.

[edited by: rogerd at 12:18 am (utc) on Jan. 12, 2006]
[edit reason] no specifics or URLs, please [/edit]

[rogerd]

>>doesn't really create any additional server load to my knowledge

I posted individual topic feeds on one forum a while ago and haven't noticed any great load from it, although I recall hearing about blogs, news sites, etc., that were just about shut down when thousands of readers queried simultaneously at the top of the hour.

[linear]

rogerd, did you place the <link rel="alternate" /> elements in your head, or did you offer only on-page links, or both?