Comments for David's Random Bits http://www.davidhoenig.com/blog Just another WordPress weblog Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:31:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 Comment on Slow updates in Google Reader by Todd Stadler http://www.davidhoenig.com/blog/2008/04/24/slow-updates-in-google-reader/#comment-460 Todd Stadler Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:23:37 +0000 http://www.davidhoenig.com/blog/2008/04/24/slow-updates-in-google-reader/#comment-460 Yeah, I don't know. Google should be fetching one copy of the feed fairly frequently, and then passing this on to as many subscribers as Reader has for that feed. If that happened, the fact that a feed had a billion subscribers shouldn't affect whether the feed's server got hammered, right? But that only really works if there is a finite number of canonical feeds for a site. The problem comes in when you have comment feeds for every blog entry, or customizable feeds with parameters, or feeds per account (like on Twitter). Then Google's attempt to frequently check for updates for each feed (even if it only grabs one copy, caches it, and passes it on to Reader users) could easily take down a site. Maybe these per-account/customizable/parameterized feeds are what Google means by "less popular" feeds, as opposed to the one-feed-per-site ones? Also, I think a friend of mine at Rice built just what you want: FeedTree (Google it). The problem with it, as with all P2P services, is that you need a body of users for it to work. How about an XMPP+RSS combination? I'll call it ... RSSXMPP! Yeah, I don’t know. Google should be fetching one copy of the feed fairly frequently, and then passing this on to as many subscribers as Reader has for that feed. If that happened, the fact that a feed had a billion subscribers shouldn’t affect whether the feed’s server got hammered, right?

But that only really works if there is a finite number of canonical feeds for a site. The problem comes in when you have comment feeds for every blog entry, or customizable feeds with parameters, or feeds per account (like on Twitter). Then Google’s attempt to frequently check for updates for each feed (even if it only grabs one copy, caches it, and passes it on to Reader users) could easily take down a site. Maybe these per-account/customizable/parameterized feeds are what Google means by “less popular” feeds, as opposed to the one-feed-per-site ones?

Also, I think a friend of mine at Rice built just what you want: FeedTree (Google it). The problem with it, as with all P2P services, is that you need a body of users for it to work.

How about an XMPP+RSS combination? I’ll call it … RSSXMPP!

]]> Comment on Comment Away! by Lyza http://www.davidhoenig.com/blog/2008/02/12/comment-away/#comment-95 Lyza Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:08:45 +0000 http://www.davidhoenig.com/blog/2008/02/12/comment-away/#comment-95 Hey kiddo. It was actually the "Lyza" in the "Lyza's Dad" part who found the Defensio filter. Aherm. Just trawling for credit. Hey kiddo. It was actually the “Lyza” in the “Lyza’s Dad” part who found the Defensio filter. Aherm. Just trawling for credit.

]]> Comment on Comment Away! by tODD http://www.davidhoenig.com/blog/2008/02/12/comment-away/#comment-94 tODD Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:50:55 +0000 http://www.davidhoenig.com/blog/2008/02/12/comment-away/#comment-94 Finally. Now I can give you the piece of my mind that has heretofore remained in my brain. Also, I can link to the time-share condo I have a special deal on! Finally. Now I can give you the piece of my mind that has heretofore remained in my brain. Also, I can link to the time-share condo I have a special deal on!

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