Generating web apps with AI agents like Replit is incredibly powerful, enabling rapid prototyping and deployment. My experience building tldr.express, a personalized RSS feed summarizer, highlighted the importance of a detailed specification. While initial prompts yielded impressive results, I iteratively refined the app through configuration and additional prompts to address issues like email integration, AI model selection, output formatting, spam prevention, and bot mitigation. This iterative process reinforced that while AI agents excel at rapid generation, a well-defined specification upfront is crucial for a successful outcome.
I've made a couple of small changes to the blog. I removed the personal journal section and added my projects to the RSS feed so you can see what I've been working on with Generative AI. Happy New Year!
Check out Browser Bug Searcher, a tool created by Robert Nyman and Eric Bidelman that helps you easily search for bugs across major browser engines. It's a super handy resource for staying up-to-date on the status of web platform features. I wish more bug trackers, like crbug and webkit, had easy RSS feed options like this so I could integrate them into my personal dashboard.
I created a simple service using Firebase Functions and Superfeedr to post new entries from RSS feeds to our Google Chat room. Superfeedr polls RSS feeds, including those without Pubsubhubbub, and pings my Cloud Function with the new feed data. The function then parses this data and posts it to our Google Chat webhook. It's surprisingly easy to set up and works great for keeping our team updated with new content.
I'm looking for a few web services that don't seem to exist yet. First, a way to save my Twitter favorites to Instapaper (or similar services). Second, a webhook that sends content to Instapaper, as I dislike relying on third-party app integrations. Finally, a service that sends full RSS feed content directly to my email inbox in near real-time using pubsubhubbub. Existing services only send partial archives. If I can't find these, I might build them as open-source projects.
I've taken my feed off Squeet due to repeated updates to old posts, which wasn't very useful given the low subscriber count. This change should prevent further issues.
I'm excited to announce the launch of my new project, Topicala! It's a topical search aggregator where you enter a topic and discover all the related information. It's almost complete, just needs a few bug fixes and OPML output. Try it out with some example searches and give me your feedback!
The Ajax Tagger has been updated with a number of bug fixes and improvements. Key changes include using my own Tag Directory for related tags, providing Yahoo search results as RSS in OPML output, and fixing issues with menu item classes, OPML apostrophe escaping, and image selection persistence. Planned future enhancements include a Blogger interface, Kelkoo integration, addressing a cross-domain CGI request security warning, and Del.icio.us OPML integration.
My Feedburner full text feed is currently broken and I'm unable to identify the source of the problem. This has led me to consider moving my blog away from Feedburner.
My tag directory has a cool new feature: Amazon product integration! It pulls book data from Amazon AWS related to each tag. Right now, it adds links to relevant products, but I'm thinking of adding images soon. This latest addition brings the total number of Web 2.0 APIs used in my mashup to four, including Delicious, Yahoo Search API, and Google Blog Search RSS. Check out the examples for tags like RDF, RSS, and Mashup to see it in action.
My tag directory has been updated to incorporate Del.icio.us integration. It fetches RDF data from del.icio.us to display the most popular tagged items. Explore examples for tags like RDF and RSS using the provided links.
I'm considering adding an email subscription option for blog updates, as an alternative to RSS/ATOM feeds. Would you subscribe to email updates if offered?
I've updated my Opensearch implementation based on feedback from Michael Fagan. Changes include correcting the short name length, fixing capitalization issues, and adding an RSS search URL using Google Blog Search. Unfortunately, full A9.com integration isn't possible because the search engine isn't on my domain. While proxying results is an option, I feel that would be unfair to Google.
I'm looking for an RSS reader that can filter feeds by language. I want to be able to specify a language (like English) and have the reader only show me items in that language. My current reader, SharpReader, doesn't offer this feature. I'm wondering if something like the Microsoft Feed Management API might be a solution.
I'm having trouble using the Microsoft Feed Management API in IE7 Beta 2. Specifically, I can't create a FeedFolderWatcher object to track feed item count changes. The error I'm getting suggests the required COM class (CLSID {281001ED-7765-4CB0-84AF-E9B387AF01FF}) isn't registered on my system. I'm looking for help troubleshooting this issue. Is it an installation problem, or is there a broader problem with the API itself? Any insights or code examples (especially a C# screensaver example) would be greatly appreciated.
I'm puzzled why Microsoft's new Feed Manager API is COM-based instead of a managed API. Given their push for managed code in Vista and .NET's excellent XML handling, a managed API for RSS (which is XML-based) seems logical. It's frustrating to need interop to use this new feature.
I'm exploring Microsoft's Simple List Extensions for RSS and looking for real-world examples of their implementation. I'm particularly interested in seeing how these extensions can be effectively utilized and would appreciate any insights or examples.
I've just upgraded to RSS Bandit 1.3.0.38 and I'm really pleased with it. This version successfully imported Robert Scoble's huge OPML file, has a refreshed UI, and seems to load large numbers of posts much faster (maybe due to disabling XSLT formatting).
I've updated my Ajax Tagger 2.0 tool! It now provides related search results and outputs them as OPML, including RSS feeds for search engines like MSN, Technorati, and Google Blog Search. I'm looking for more search engines that offer RSS output. If you know of any, especially for Google or Yahoo, please share!
I explored XAML databinding with Amazon's REST API, inspired by a Channel 9 RSS reader example. The XAML code fetches data from Amazon and displays it. A key challenge was handling Amazon's default namespace, requiring a NamespaceManager for correct XPath queries. The provided example demonstrates the basic functionality, and it can be expanded upon.
I've just started testing the Sphere Beta Program. While I appreciate the related blogs feature, I find the blog post search results less helpful. When I search for terms like "AJAX", the related blogs are more relevant than the actual posts returned. I'm not sure keyword searches within blog posts are effective for me. I'd love to see features like RSS subscriptions for results, customizable date ranges (e.g., between 2 and 4 months ago), and a "find similar blog posts" search option.
I've joined the Sphere Beta Program and have some initial thoughts. While I find the related blogs feature useful, the blog post search results for keywords like "AJAX" aren't quite hitting the mark. I'd love to see improvements such as RSS subscription options for results, more refined date filtering (e.g., between specific dates), and a "find similar posts" feature.
I'm struggling to understand the practical uses of OPML, especially given the inconsistent use of attributes like 'type', 'url', and 'xmlurl'. While I'm developing a JavaScript OPML object model for my own projects (like a tagging system where OPML stores related links for blog posts), I haven't found a clear standard for defining outlines. It seems like the 'standard' emerges from popular usage rather than formal specification. I'm particularly interested in how to determine the file type of items within an OPML outline, as my current application only uses links for pages and images (feed support is still pending). The lack of clear semantics in OPML makes it difficult to build dynamic applications that can 'mash up' content from different sources based on the OPML structure.
Wow! Google Blog Search indexed my latest post in just minutes! I was amazed by how fast it appeared in the search results after uploading. I'm curious if other search engines are this quick. Technorati is fast, but I have to ping them. With Google, it just worked automatically. Big kudos to Google and possibly Blogger for the seamless integration!
I just discovered that Latricia updated the XML::Feed CPAN module to merge RSS/ATOM feeds into one ATOM feed. This is awesome! I had a similar idea for AJAX Tagger 2.0, where I wanted to offer a combined feed of all tagged results. If this module works as advertised, I can use it directly instead of building my own tool. This might be a better solution than my initial plan of using OPML.
I'm trying to be more diligent about documentation, but PDC distractions and the new MSN Search API have me sidetracked. The API's SOAP format and seeming redundancy with existing RSS search options make me question its value. Maybe I'll integrate it into AJAXTagger v2 if I can avoid feature creep. Check out my blog for MSN Search and Start.com developer program resources.
Microsoft's Start.com has launched a new developer API, possibly using the ATLAS framework (precursor to ASP.NET AJAX). It seems to focus on creating JavaScript-based "Gadgets," similar to RSS consumers, that need to be hosted on a server. The API also requires enabling cross-domain data sources in Internet Explorer, a topic I've discussed previously.
I'm still confused about OPML. I know it's for sharing blog subscriptions, but I don't see the practical benefit for me or my readers. Even after checking resources and looking for OPML enthusiasts like Robert Scoble and Dave Winer, I'm still lost. Technorati's Blog Finder wasn't much help either. Wikipedia had the best explanation, but I still need to figure out how to actually use OPML.
I was listening to a BBC Radio 4 program about blogging, and a guest pointed out that US/European bloggers link to others more than UK bloggers. Inspired by this, I'm going to upload an OPML file so people can see the feeds I read. I'm starting to understand OPML's use in RSS feeds and online journals, planning to categorize my feeds. I'm also thinking of adding a section to my site for linking to interesting articles I find in those feeds, with my own comments.
I encountered an issue where my FeedBurner RSS feed wasn't displaying any article content. I've implemented a fix, and you should now be able to access the feed through the FeedBurner icon at the top left of the title. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the ATOM feed at http://www.kinlan.co.uk/atom.xml.
Start.com's AJAX web portal, which displays web feeds in an HTML interface, has been promoted to the main site. However, a persistent issue remains: the inability to cancel the close event on RSS feed panels, a problem previously highlighted and still unresolved.
My site's bandwidth usage spiked mid-month, and I discovered the culprit was MSN Bot repeatedly accessing my Atom.xml feed. It was hitting my feed every minute, consuming a significant portion of my bandwidth. The bot is apparently part of a syndication search engine, constantly checking for new content. I added a robots.txt file to throttle the bot's access frequency, which solved the issue.
I'm exploring OPML and trying to understand its purpose and potential uses. I've come across mentions of it by Robert Scoble, who suggests it could connect various forms of media like podcasts and photo-sharing. However, I'm struggling to grasp how this would work in practice. I'm also looking into resources from Dave Winer and others to learn more. I'd appreciate any helpful links or information on OPML.
In this part of my series on my AJAX application, I'm discussing the impact of external APIs. My use of APIs has made me realize how much more API access I want! I'd love to see broader API availability from feed/blog companies for statistics, retail companies for catalogs, news corporations for news feeds, and search companies for both results and more interesting APIs (like Yahoo's). Essentially, I want a central directory of companies offering these services, recognizing that I'm a consumer of their data. I'm also realizing how many APIs (REST and SOAP) are out there that I could leverage. I envision adding more dynamism to my apps, like analyzing blog post keywords to see their popularity, potential ad revenue, and related keywords. I could then cross-reference this with other sources to give viewers more feedback, such as related blog importance, link counts, and other connections. I could even offer localized product information, best buy deals, or second-hand options based on keywords. This isn't revolutionary, but I need help finding lists of companies that offer web APIs and useful RSS feeds. Readers, please share your knowledge!
The Feedster API has potential, but it's unclear what its purpose is. It would be more useful if it allowed content searches and provided metadata about searches, such as the number of blogs or pages a term appears in. Additional features like showing top searches and providing search result counts could be valuable. The current API requires a private key, which necessitates a proxy script for security. A simpler authentication method like Yahoo's Application ID would be preferred. Despite some limitations, the ability to publish search results as an RSS feed is a nice feature.
I haven't been updating the list of feeds that don't work in IE7 lately. I've been in contact with Sean Lyndersay, a Lead Program Manager on the RSS team at Microsoft, about this. He confirmed that the feeds I listed should work in IE7 Beta 1 and suggested there might be a bug in the RSS rendering code. I've also noticed all feeds seem to be broken for me in IE7, which he thinks could be a configuration issue on my end. Sean said the RSS rendering code has been completely rewritten for Beta 2 and is hoping that fixes the issue. I am also looking forward to IE7 Beta 2. Thanks Sean!
IE7 Beta 1 now has a feed auto-discovery feature, but it's a bit picky. It only recognizes RSS feeds (no Atom yet) and requires a specific HTML snippet with the correct rel, type, and title attributes. Direct feed links won't trigger the notification, and using text/xml instead of application/rss+xml won't work either. I've updated my blog to comply, but the feed, converted by 2RSS.com and containing ads, still isn't displaying correctly in IE7.
This post lists RSS feeds that aren't displaying correctly in the IE7 feed viewer. Specifically, they don't render in IE7's new format. I'm trying to understand why these feeds aren't working, and I've provided links to a few examples, including the IE7 blog, Channel 9, Scoble's blog, and my own blog. I've since updated this post with more information after speaking with Microsoft's RSS Product Manager (see the link at the top).
I had this brilliant idea to create a merged RSS feed using client-side processing. The idea was to have a main RSS feed that linked to other feeds. My custom XML would include a list of sources. Then, using XSLT in the browser, the client could merge these external feeds into a single view. It worked perfectly locally! However, I hit a roadblock with cross-domain security restrictions when I uploaded it to my server. The browser wouldn't let me pull in feeds from other domains due to security concerns. Additionally, client-side XSLT processing isn't universally supported. So, even if the security issue wasn't there, many feed readers wouldn't be able to display the merged feed. In the end, the project failed. But, I learned a lot about browser security, XSLT limitations and client/server interactions!
IE7 finds the RSS feed on channel9.msdn.com but doesn't display it correctly, only showing the raw XML. I'm looking for other examples of feeds that IE7 can't render properly to compile a list and see if there's a pattern or bug. If you know of any, please email me!
IE7 introduces the ability to subscribe to any link in your default RSS aggregator. This function allows users to right-click a link and select the "Subscribe in default RSS reader" option. While useful for valid RSS feeds, this feature does not work for other content types. Whether this is specific to Internet Explorer 7, enabled by default, or a result of extensions like RSS Bandit is uncertain.
I've been exploring the RSS features in IE7 Beta 1 and have a couple of suggestions. First, it would be great if we could add feeds to favorites directly from the feeds toolbar button, rather than having to navigate to the feed itself. It's an extra step when we've already decided we like the content enough to add it. Second, I'm curious about how IE7 discovers feeds on a page. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Is it just looking for a specific link tag in the head section or is there more to it? It seems to struggle with feeds linked via anchor tags. Overall, I'm enjoying IE7 so far, just want to offer some feedback.
I've been trying out IE7 Beta 1 and have some mixed feelings. While I like the tabbed browsing and the new tab placement, I'm not sure it's the ideal UI. It makes it difficult to compare sites side-by-side and to see open pages in the taskbar like I could with separate windows. A hybrid approach, like Office's per-document window or better taskbar tooltips, might be a good compromise. Also, my ATOM feed isn't being auto-discovered, and I'd like to know how IE7 handles feed discovery in general. I'm looking forward to the improved CSS support in Beta 2, although some rendering bugs are already fixed in this build.
Thanks to Scott Rafer for the comment! I'm experimenting with providing topic search results rather than keyword searches to offer broader perspectives on a topic. RSS feeds are there because I like staying up-to-date, sort of like a personalized PubSub. I'm open to change though, so I'll experiment with adding color-coded boxes at the bottom of each post linking to Technorati tags, Feedster, and MSN Search results, all related to the post's topic to avoid tag spam.
I'm trying to increase readership for my blog. I'm adding links to Technorati Tag RSS feeds at the end of each post, hoping it'll connect readers with others interested in similar topics.
I just completed all the questions on Start.com, and they gave me a link to their new beta site: http://www.start.com/myw3b/. It's supposed to be an all-in-one platform for RSS, search, info, and more. I'm really excited about this and the new Google services – they're making websites so much more interactive!
