Feed-a-mator.

Monday 05 May, 2008

One of the less-than-strong selling points for Textpattern is syndication control, or rather, the distinct lack there of.

It appears to be a failing across a great many CMS platforms, in that syndication always plays second fiddle to content management. Granted, I use syndication as a means to prioritise which sites I visit, but that can be problematic if I can’t quickly discern which is worth a quick skim and that which deserves additional reading time.

Do not get me started on the sites that belch content into single paragraph mush via syndication, with nary a thought as to how their readers are supposed to, well, read it. You will neither be the first thing I read each day, or the first place I visit. Continue down that path and I may simply stop visiting entirely.

Being able to present content in a number of useful ways improves the odds of your voice being heard and successfully carrying your message. Which translates to increased visitation. Not an easy task when the default TXP syndication options leave one with little to work with.

However, with some patience and a quick header fix, it’s quite possible to tame the TXP syndication beast. After the application of spanners and hammers to the issue at hand, the following feed options are now presented for your enjoyment.

• The undiluted flavour complete with kitchen-sink feed has had a slight makeover, improving link list handling.

• An all new links feed provides the freshest serve² of light-weight shorts.

Where a link list item occurs, the title directs you to the content referenced. If it was worth quoting, it is worth reading directly. A footnote link back to The Lab is provided for completeness.

If you have subscribed previously, your feed should sport the new features on next update. The changes should be comfortably transparent.

Should something break with either the existing feed, or new feeds, please let me know. I value your time and your feedback.

¹ I tend to visit sites to read content, rather than purely via XML feeds.

² All New! With 70% less fat!