Wednesday, June 19, 2013

I don't even know what an RSS feed is.

A reader sends in email:
I generally (try to) read your site through the RSS feed, so I can carry the essays with me and peruse them at my leisure. However, recently, many your feed entries have been just the "Doctrine of the Three Percent", with no text. The last actual post I got was the 14th of June entry on the Peggy Noonan article. All the article titles show up in the feed just fine, and the preview of the article is there, but opening the article just shows the Doctrine. Feeds from other sites seem to be coming in fine, so I'm suspecting something is getting chewed up by whatever software creates your RSS feed updates.
Anybody have any ideas on how to fix this problem?

17 comments:

Brett said...

I read this blog via an RSS feed in my Outlook and all is good.

Darren said...

Which RSS reader are you using?

I use Newblur and Feedly and his posts show up just fine.

markofafreeman said...

The problem is yours, Mike, it's the readers. I had been using Google's Reader to subscribe to the RSS feed of your blog (it's automatic for any blogspot blog...you didn't need to do anything for it to work). Since Google is killing Reader next month, I've switched to Feedly. No problems with either Google Reader nor Feedly. Your reader with the problem will need to be more specific. The problem is not with your blog, but with whatever RSS reader software he is using, or with the subscription link he gave it. The correct link (or at least the one that works with Google Reader and Feedly) is /sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Hope that helps.

flacmonkey said...

Your blog has two Atom feeds and an RSS feed. It sounds like he some how has gotten subscribed to one of the Atom feeds, which is only the comments on articles.

The reader should try subscribing to one of the other feeds on your blog and see if that fixes the problem.

Paul X said...

I don't know what an RSS feed is either, but I'm guessing an email to the blogspot.com (blogger.com?) support folks is in order...

Sammy said...

RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication", and is what many people use to read news / blog sites.

Since you're using Blogger, they put out your RSS feed automatically for you.

However, I don't think that you are having RSS issues, since I've used Google Reader's and am now using Netvibes' RSS reader and have experienced no problems.

Anonymous said...

RSS feed is like a pod cast

Rich Site Summary

includes full or summarized text

RSS feeds can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader", or "aggregator", which can be web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-device-based. The user subscribes to a feed by entering into the reader the feed's URI or by clicking a feed icon in a web browser that initiates the subscription process.

Skeezix Roscoe said...

FYI, your RSS feed has worked for me over the time in question. The problem is on his end. Suggest that he delete the RSS feed bookmark and re-subscribe.

Anonymous said...

I don't think anything is wrong with your RSS feeds.

I use this one, and it works:

/sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

~ jcard21

Skeezix Roscoe said...

FYI, your RSS feed has worked for me over the time in question. The problem is on his end. Suggest that he delete the RSS feed bookmark and re-subscribe.

Anonymous said...

My feed is working fine

Anonymous said...

I don't know what an RSS feed is either but I have noticed that your site does not load correctly on my tablet. Yours is the only site I have trouble with. Pictures come through just fine but not the text.

b

Anonymous said...

Could be the RSS aggregator that the individual is using.

I switched from google reader to Feedly and see every blog entry in its entirety. I also checked NetVibes and NewsBlur and they seem to feed correctly.

Anonymous said...

Join the No More Names Rally on Saturday in Raleigh
Hide Details
From
Mayors Against Illegal Guns

To
No More Names

No --

This Saturday at 10:00 AM, the No More Names bus tour will be stopping in Raleigh to read out the names of those killed by gun violence and to demand action from our leaders.

Will you join us?
Yes -- I can make it to the rally!

I can't make it to the rally, but I'll support the No More Names Tour by pitching in $33 or more.
Here are the details:

What: No More Names Rally

When: Saturday, June 22nd, 10:00 AM

Where: Moore Square Park
200 South Blount Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

The bus departed from Newtown, CT six months after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, commemorating those killed with guns -- and determined to turn the tide on six months of inaction from Congress.

In each state where the tour stops, it's up to supporters like you to speak up for laws that protect our communities from future tragedies. So please join us at the rally on Saturday.

Thanks for all you do,

Mayors Against Illegal Guns


P.S. -- We are planning to read the names of those killed by gun violence in 25 states across the country. But the bus will only keep running with your support. Please pitch in $33 or more today:

https://donate.demandaction.org/donate/NMNDonation1/




Anonymous said...

A feed is an archive of blog posts or news posts.

For example, here are the feed pages for Sipsey Street Irregulars and PoliceMag.com, respectively:

/sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

http://www.policemag.com/rss/all.aspx

A feed reader does three extremely productive things for you:

1) It will archive as many feeds as you want in one place, and

2) It will let you know which feeds have new posts since you last checked

3) You can search your feeds for keywords (names, phrases, etc.)

It's difficult to believe you are as productive as you are not having been using a feed reader.

It will be interesting to see what you make of it.

Here is some more information about feed readers:

How RSS Works
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/rss.htm/printable

Note:

1) Some feed readers limit the amount of posts it will archive for any one feed, so depending on which one you use, you may have to archive your feeds, manually.

2) The feed reader will begin archiving posts for you the moment you subscribe to a feed. This means that your archive history will only go back to the moment you subscribed.

Thank you for your work. Have fun.

Anonymous said...

Probably another way for BIG BROTHER to see what you are looking at online. Don't worry since O'Bummer has reassured us that he is only looking for those EVIL TERRORISTS and not at those nice and peaceful folks who read the CONSTITUTION and believe in the BILL OF RIGHTS.

Sixgun Strategic said...

Ok, so I'm the reader who sent him the email. I'm using RSSDemon on an Android tablet, and the feed URL I am using (which was automatically picked up when I clicked the RSS icon), is

sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

just as many others are using. I added the ?alt=rss and I'll see if that makes the difference.

Why it would do anything other than grab whatever the RSS system is outputting seems strange to me. I'll have to dig into the app to see why it might grab something else. At least now more folks are learning about how stuff like this works.

And oddly enough, of all the posts that downloaded for me, this was the only one that actually came through correctly.