This is an archived copy of text sent to several syndication mailing. Original can be found at http://backend.userland.com/discuss/msgReader$108

Suggestion for .92 spec

I’d like to suggest a few optional additions to the specification. Here are some ideas I’d like to throw around for discussion:

At the item level:

<date></date>: This would allow us to specify a particular date for an item. I think it would be nice for those of us who have several days’ worth of content in their RDF channel.

At the channel level:

These could be encapsulated in to an <external></external> section that would include all links to outside of the channel.

<about></about> : Much like <link></link> points to the page the channel is for <about></about> could point to a page of information about this channel. this could link to a FAQ or more information about the channel.

<wireless></wireless>: Points to a page where wireless devices can go.

<broadband></broadband>: Points to a page where broadband devices can go.

<narrowband></narrowband>: Points to a page where narrowband devices (browsers for blind people, text-only browsers, etc..) can go

<p3></p3>: Points to a P3P page to check the privacy rules

<sound></sound>: Points to either a VXML source file (which can be read by a VXML browser) or a sound file. For example, it could serve up a radio feed related to this story.

<video></video>: Same as above with video or SMIL file.

That said, here’s what a source could look like (changes are bolded and URLs are fictional (but I cut and pasted my .91 channel content for speed reasons)):

————– Suggested RSS .92 code starts here ————–

<?xml version="1.0" ?> 
<!DOCTYPE NewDocTypeLinkGoesHere> 
<rss version="0.92">
<channel>
<header>
	<managingEditor>[email protected]<;/managingEditor> 
	<copyright>Copyright 1999-present, Me.</copyright> 
	<title>TNL.net Newsletter</title> 
	My channel description 
	<language>en-us</language> 
	<rating></rating> 
</header>

<image> <title>TNL.net</title> https://www.tnl.net/images/TNLpalmlogo.gif <width>125</width> <height>44</height> My channel description </image>

<external> <link>https://www.tnl.net<;/link> <about>https://www.tnl.net/about/<;/about> <wireless>http://wap.tnl.net<;/wireless> <broadband>https://www.tnl.net/100MBpage.html<;/broadband> <narrowband>https://www.tnl.net/under1kpage.html<;/narrowband> <p3>https://www.tnl.net/p3p.xml<;/p3> <sound>https://www.tnl.net/myvoicebasedchannel.vxml<;/sound> <video>https://www.tnl.net/myvideofeed.smil<;/video> </external>

<item> <title>Story 1</title> <link>https://www.tnl.net/newsletter/anewstory.html<;/link> Story 1 is described <date>10/13/2000</date> </item>

<item> <title>Some older story</title> <link>https://www.tnl.net/newsletter/olderstory.html<;/link> Happy New Year <date>01/01/2000</date> </item>

</channel> </rss>

————– Suggested RSS .92 code ends here —————-

As part of the deal, I’d also move the original channel link and image link into the external field under a single link header (unless some people can tell me where they have a different link for the image and the channel.

Your thoughts on this?

TNL

PS: Full disclosure time – My interest in syndication is related to both past and present. For starters, I have my own personal web site that I use to publish a newsletter (and offer a channel). Providing an easy to use format for summary distribution is a great way to increase traffic to it and expose people to my ideas. Second, I’m starting a company called Moveable Media (http://www.moveablemedia.com), which is trying to bridge the gap between online and offline media. While online syndication is WAY in the future for us (we’re first focusing on providing tools that will allow people to deal with freelancers), it is something that we are seeing as a potential future arena for us.

PPS: The email to the syndication list I sent can be found here: http://www.egroups.com/message/syndication/698