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Shel Holtz
Communicating at the Intersection of Business and Technology
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Full vs. partial RSS feeds: My $.02

Plenty has been written about the full feed vs. partial feed debate since Chris Pirillo switched from full to partial. As I understand it, the decision was based on subscribers to the full feed using the posts without pointing back to Pirillo’s site. By switching to partial feeds, you had no choice but to visit the site if you wanted to read the entire post.

Pirillo has evidently returned to full feeds, noting in his blog:

I love how everybody whines when they don’t get their way - it’s human nature. So, for all of you who unsubscribed from my RSS feed because it wasn’t the way you wanted it (even though you’re not the one providing it or paying for it), then you won’t ever know that I considered going back to full feeds. Not because of WHY you complained, but that you DID complain - and I think it’s kinda funny that everybody else will enjoy what you’ve decided to leave behind… because this entry *GASP* is a full entry in the feed. Did you know that, or were you one who cut off his/her nose to spite your face? ;)

First off, it’s Pirillo’s blog and if wants to deliver partial feeds, that’s nobody’s business but his. But the decision launched considerable discussion around the issue. I wasn’t planning to weigh in until I read a quote from

Comments
  • 1.Spot on with your remarks on partial RSS. I am moving to Typepad because you can control that (not on Blogger as far as I can see) and I see that the feeds are becoming more important that the site (at least in my topic area). Enjoy the podcast. Safe travels and hope you find better coffee. That plastic coffee and stale muffins is my nightmare scenario of travel in the USA.

    Jonathan Marks | May 2005 | Huizen, The Netherlands

  • 2.Hi Shel,

    Well, my blog feed reader (BlogExpress) only sees very partial feeds frm you: a headline and perhaps a one-liner teaser copy.

    For example, here's some headlines and teaser copy, as I pick it up:

    Headline: The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #38: June 2, 2005
    Copy: The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #38: June 2, 2005

    Headline: How to undermine your own PR efforts
    Copy: Take a lesson from the Bush Administration and do the opposite

    Headline: A grab-bag of RSS toys
    Copy: Robin Good lists tools I?ve never heard of

    Headline: Full vs. partial RSS feeds: My $.02
    Copy: I deliver full feeds. ?Nuff said.


    See what I mean? This is the feed I grab - is it the right feed? http://feeds.feedburner.com/shel_blog

    Lee

    Lee | June 2005 | Adelaide, Australia

  • 3.That's interesting, Lee. There are no settings I can find in the Feedburner account that allow me to switch between full and partial text. But, if you look at the Feedburner feed itself -- http://feeds.feedburner.com/shel_blog -- it's showing full text. I couldn't be sure, then, but I'd suspect it has something to do with settings in your reader. I use the RSS 2.0 link in my reader, and it's also producing full text.

    Shel Holtz | June 2005

  • 4.Bizarre, indeed! Because the content showing in BlogExpress doesn't match the first few lines of the text when I visit that particular post...

    Anyway, as per my blog, I'm now trialling GreatNews and get your full feed. So "huzzah!" for technology, eh?

    FWIW: another great FIR, chappy! Haven't listened to it all yet (Monday morning's bus ride into the city will sort that out) but so far - fabulous!

    You two are always so flattering about my contributions; have you had any feedback from listeners regarding them, as in 'ditch' or 'keep'?

    Lee | June 2005 | Adelaide, Australia

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