March 4, 2026
Algorithms, who?
The View from RSS
RSS Isn’t Dead—Fans Are Making Their Own Internet
TLDR: An editor reads the web via a simple RSS reader, skimming nearly 2,000 feeds to curate The Browser without algorithm steering. Commenters celebrated a calmer, DIY internet, debated reader-only vs click-through habits, honored Aaron Swartz, and showcased new tools—signs that RSS is quietly staging a comeback.
The internet’s quiet resistance is here: one editor curates nearly 2,000 sites through RSS—“Really Simple Syndication,” a simple way to subscribe to updates—dodging AI (artificial intelligence) feeds and chaotic social timelines. The crowd loved it. “Calming and empowering,” cheered fans, showering love on NetNewsWire and dreaming of a true RSS comeback. The vibes were retro-futurist: a heartfelt nod to Aaron Swartz, the early open-web hero, set a reverent tone amid the feed-drenched enthusiasm.
Then came the drama-lite: power users flexed 2000-feed collections, plotting to make RSS their only social feed, even while admitting YouTube’s recommendations are the last algorithmic vice. A gentle split emerged—minimalists who never click through versus purists who say, “go to the site for the full experience.” Meanwhile, a builder rolled up with a shiny teaser for aggly.com, promising a slick desktop-friendly aggregator and hunting for feedback like a startup gladiator poised for Show HN.
Commenters joked that RSS is the zen garden of the web—no clickbait, no doomscroll—just a wild chronological mix: shark hunts, praise kinks, 70s buildings, filmmaking, and politics, all side by side. The mood? RSS renaissance energy as people hunt for a kinder, hand-curated internet and escape the algorithm’s grip.
Key Points
- •The author reads almost all web content via RSS and has done so since the mid-2000s.
- •They inherited over 1,000 RSS feeds for The Browser newsletter and expanded the collection to nearly 2,000.
- •Feedly is used to aggregate feeds, including Substack URLs; readers can often extract feeds even when not advertised.
- •Daily workflow involves scanning thousands of posts, shortlisting by headlines, and selecting items for The Browser’s paid edition.
- •RSS presents a minimalist, chronological view with limited images/embeds, yielding a varied stream of topics.