Re: RSS and Advertising

From: Ivan Pope <ivan2_at_ivanpope.com>
Date: Mon 11 Apr 2005 12:45:51 -0500

Ronni Rhodes wrote:

>To me, one of the major attractions of an RSS feed is the
>absence of any ads or "clutter."
>
>Do you think that ads will have an impact on the growth and
>acceptance of RSS? Will the same problems occurring with
>web site ads and e-mail marketing crop up in RSS?

I think it's fairly inevitable that RSS will carry ads - after all, it's
just another part of the HTML universe. While it is of course lovely to
have 'uncluttered' RSS, there is a certain logic to these things.
I can well remember the coming of advertising to the Web ('Banner ads,
it'll never work, the Web is non commercial and will stay like that till
the end of time). No doubt there are people who still bemoan the coming
of commercial television (we still have the great ad-free BBC, maybe we
could implement a global tax to support ad-free RSS?). That said, the
front page of the Times of London used to be composed entirely of
adverts. I have the Times from the day of my birth (1961 if you must
ask) and it is like a page from eBay, covered in small ads - puppies
(two pedigree poodle puppies for sale), metal offcuts (stainless steel
re-usable offcuts), second hand cars, flowers, small businesses and this
lovely advert in the 'Business Offers' section: '"Boldness be my Friend.
Arm me Audacity from Head to Foot ..." There are times when to dare is
the highest wisdom ... when he of the bold mind sees in the difficulties
of today the rewards of tomorrow. Such a mind uses bold ADVERTISING to
build sales, develop fresh fields and ... "Plant a Standard Where a
Standard Never Flew" ... -- Ring SKINGLE OF THE STRAND, Incorporated
Practitioners in Advertising.'
I'm not sure what SKINGLE OF THE STRAND would make of advertising in RSS
feeds, but I'm sure they would take it in their stride. There's really
nothing new under the sun.
Cheers,
Ivan
--
IPMedia <http://blog.ipmedia.info/>




Received on Mon Apr 11 2005 - 12:45:51 CDT