Scalability of Feeds & Aggregators

Via Emergic.com



The Shifted Librarian (Jenny) points to a post by Werner Vogel: "The increase in the number of feeds will leave many users frustrated, as there is a limit to the number feeds one can scan and read. Current numbers suggest that readers can handle 150-200 feeds without too much stress. But users will want to read more and more as new interesting feeds become available and they run into the limitations of the metaphor of current aggregator applications. The current central abstract of aggregators is that of a feed, and there is a limit to how many individual feeds one can actually handle. Aggregators will need to find ways in which the users can be subscribed to a select set of feeds because they want to read everything that comes from these feeds, but also subscribe to a much larger set of publishers for which the feed abstraction may not be the right metaphor. Aggregation, fusion and selection at the information item level instead of at the feed level seems to be a first abstractions to investigation."



My Feedlist shows me, I am at 105. Even I have started feeling the pinch. I think some innovation needs to occur at this level. Today's Feed Aggregators are aimed at entering and subscribing particular URL's of information.



I am just thinking, there may be a day when I have 1000 or may be 10,000 sources. Today's aggregators cannot definitely manage that information with a two or three pan interface. What is needed is a more intutive way to handle such information.



Even a user himself/herself cannot read 10,000 feeds of information. So what's the solution?



This idea just tinkered down my brain, while just writing this blog entry. So enjoy it :-)



Personalized Newspaper Interface

Rather than reading a daily e-newspaper from Times of India, what is needed is a newspaper made up from my daily sources. It automatically categorizes information in different sections, puts messages (even advertisements) just like a normal newspaper.

It can mark certain sections as BOLD, or put more important sections in front and others in back. The UI needs to get more intelligent, it can definitely keep track of my reading habits, do an analysis and present me things more like a true personalized newspaper. I as a user can read more important sections and skip others at will.



I think this might work till 10,000, I hope there's isn't a news addict hoping to digest 1 million feeds daily.:-)