True, I would hope someone starting a blog would not do it just because of RSS but would write about what they are passionate about. One byproduct of writing is the writer forces themselves into an expert mode because they have to read and research more.

I can definitely tell when someone is writing out of passion and when they are attempting to be big bad marketer with their suit and fake smile.

I do however follow some “marketing gurus” and their writing like Seth Godin because I can tell he is real and passionate about his work as opposed to the other kind (hard to describe but you know them when you see them)

Sorry if I just got on a high horse but a hot button just got pushed. Not by you directly but things that just popped into my mind.

Thanks for your perspective you make some good points!

We are actually working on some new initiative to address some issues we were talking about.

I look at it this way. A static web site is like a business card or brochure. That may be fine for some. A blog or rather section of updated content is like the newsletter companies will send out monthly, etc. Except it can be a lot more frequent depending on the needs and thankfully with don’t have to pay huge printing cost with web updates.

I’ve seen your work and you are DEFINITELY not included in my derogatory definition of “guru”.

Second, admit it! You too are a tech savvy user.

I ADORE blogs and one of the things I ADORE about them is the “built in” RSS capability. However, if you’re launching a blog JUST because it offers RSS …. without the dedication to creating CONTENT for syndication….well, that’s putting the cart before the horse.

You make a GREAT point…today a small percentage of us are using RSS… tomorrow may be a different story.

However I am more than an Internet marketing person part of my job is working on the development of web sites as well as portable media (mainly podcasts) for small businesses and organizations. I do however drive home the following points;

1.) I hate the un-userfriendly term of RSS. I’d rather is be a back end technology that people don’t have to worry about but can subscribe right in the browser in much the same way they can subscribe to Podcasts via iTunes (for all practical purposes that is an RSS reader with audio and video files attached)

2.) I make a point to say their site should be RSS “capable” not that they have to know about it or write to a blog but it really helps to have the tech already in place. Thankfully modern content management programs do have it built in.

3.) I make a big point of telling others is more than blogging while that is good RSS has many other uses that are just now being explored.

4.) There is no reason NOT to give potential customers and/or site visitors a way to subscribe to information and have it come to them. It’s very presumptuous to assume people will come visit a site on a regular basis without some kind of notification of new content.

5.) While RSS may hold a small percentage of the user base now their is no reason not to be prepared for the future.

6.) I would have not known about this post on your blog had I not been subscribed to your RSS feed.