It’s about time for a new buzzword and RSS-related blog trend, so reading lists are on the way.
What’s a reading list you ask? Essentially it’s an OPML file that points to a number of RSS feeds. A user can then subscribe to an entire reading list in their RSS reader instead of individual feeds. Another way of looking at it, if each RSS feed is a stock, a reading list is like a mutual fund. So, you’re now going to start seeing reading lists being pushed out there from all your favorite bloggers with what the read, or reading lists based on the focus of their blogs.
Is there value in this? Probably so, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets overhyped as well. As mentioned in the link above, the Web 2.0 Workgroup is going to maintain a reading list. If you’re just getting into the subject, it’d be very quick and easy to subscribe to their reading list to read all the same blogs and news feeds the Web 2.0 Workgroup bloggers are reading.
Or if we hire a new employee at Right Media and I want them to learn more about the online advertising industry, I could have them immediately subscribe to a number of blogs and news outlets that cover the industry all at once. I can see value in that.