1999 founded Standing
protocols
RSS
the moat is real
27 years 158 days and counting
RSS 0.9 at Netscape, March 1999. Declared dead on a schedule since 2005.
Why it lasted
- Podcasts are RSS with a file attached. That industry alone would keep the spec alive.
- It is the anti-algorithm: you subscribe, you get the thing, nobody's ads sit in the middle.
- Every platform lock-in cycle revives it as protest infrastructure.
Times it almost ended
- Google killed Reader in 2013 and was supposed to kill RSS. The feeds never stopped publishing.
- Social networks made 'following' mean an algorithmic slot. RSS kept meaning a URL.
What would finish it
- Podcasts moving to a closed transport. They keep threatening to. The feed remains.
Questions
Is RSS still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 1999.
How long has RSS been around?
RSS has been up since 1999-03-15.
Why did RSS survive?
Podcasts are RSS with a file attached. That industry alone would keep the spec alive.
Could RSS still die?
Podcasts moving to a closed transport. They keep threatening to. The feed remains.