History RSS

the rss formats preceded several attempts @ web syndication did not achieve widespread popularity. basic idea of restructuring information websites goes 1995, when ramanathan v. guha , others in apple computer s advanced technology group developed meta content framework.

rdf site summary, first version of rss, created dan libby , ramanathan v. guha @ netscape. released in march 1999 use on my.netscape.com portal. version became known rss 0.9. in july 1999, dan libby of netscape produced new version, rss 0.91, simplified format removing rdf elements , incorporating elements dave winer s news syndication format. libby renamed format rdf rss rich site summary , outlined further development of format in futures document .

this netscape s last participation in rss development 8 years. rss being embraced web publishers wanted feeds used on my.netscape.com , other rss portals, netscape dropped rss support my.netscape.com in april 2001 during new owner aol s restructuring of company, removing documentation , tools supported format.

two parties emerged fill void, neither netscape s nor approval: rss-dev working group , dave winer, userland software had published of first publishing tools outside netscape read , write rss.

winer published modified version of rss 0.91 specification on userland website, covering how being used in company s products, , claimed copyright document. few months later, userland filed u.s. trademark registration rss, failed respond uspto trademark examiner s request , request rejected in december 2001.

the rss-dev working group, project members included guha , representatives of o reilly media , moreover, produced rss 1.0 in december 2000. new version, reclaimed name rdf site summary rss 0.9, reintroduced support rdf , added xml namespaces support, adopting elements standard metadata vocabularies such dublin core.

in december 2000, winer released rss 0.92 minor set of changes aside introduction of enclosure element, permitted audio files carried in rss feeds , helped spark podcasting. released drafts of rss 0.93 , rss 0.94 subsequently withdrawn.

in september 2002, winer released major new version of format, rss 2.0, redubbed initials simple syndication. rss 2.0 removed type attribute added in rss 0.94 draft , added support namespaces. preserve backward compatibility rss 0.92, namespace support applies other content included within rss 2.0 feed, not rss 2.0 elements themselves. (although other standards such atom attempt correct limitation, rss feeds not aggregated other content enough shift popularity rss other formats having full namespace support.)

because neither winer nor rss-dev working group had netscape s involvement, not make official claim on rss name or format. has fueled ongoing controversy in syndication development community entity proper publisher of rss.

one product of contentious debate creation of alternative syndication format, atom, began in june 2003. atom syndication format, creation in part motivated desire clean start free of issues surrounding rss, has been adopted ietf proposed standard rfc 4287.

in july 2003, winer , userland software assigned copyright of rss 2.0 specification harvard s berkman center internet & society, had begun term visiting fellow. @ same time, winer launched rss advisory board brent simmons , jon udell, group purpose maintain , publish specification , answer questions format.

in september 2004, stephen horlander created ubiquitous rss icon () use in mozilla firefox browser.

in december 2005, microsoft internet explorer team , microsoft outlook team announced on blogs adopting firefox s rss icon. in february 2006, opera software followed suit. made orange square white radio waves industry standard rss , atom feeds, replacing large variety of icons , text had been used identify syndication data.

in january 2006, rogers cadenhead relaunched rss advisory board without dave winer s participation, stated desire continue development of rss format , resolve ambiguities. in june 2007, board revised version of specification confirm namespaces may extend core elements namespace attributes, microsoft has done in internet explorer 7. according view, difference of interpretation left publishers unsure of whether permitted or forbidden.