Syndication Universe

The team that has been created and kept updated the SimplePie rss feed parser has decided to go on to other things.

For now, the SimplePie code is housed at github.com, a place for developers to share code. Perhaps someone will decide to take on the SimplePie development mantle. Until then, you can continue to use SimplePie for all your RSS needs for the forseeable future.

• Read the SimplePie blog article about ceasing development

One of the more annoying things about Drupal, including Drupal 6, it in its handling of RSS feeds. The included aggregator does not exactly inspire confidence in the placement of feeds into that Content Management System (CMS).

Feed2js (long name: Feed to Javascript) is a viable option to use to display your feeds. What follows is a “how-to,” should you want to look beyond Drupal’s meager module offerings. (continue reading…)

The free, online RSS Forward service is shutting down in February 2010.

That’s according to their web site.

The service forwards an e-mail each time your favorite web site updates its RSS feed. They say it costs too much money to maintain, eats up technical support time and is consuming a lot of bandwidth. There is only one glimmer of hope – that someone will either buy or partner with them to keep it going. If you can help, drop them a line.

SimplePie as a standalone entity in Drupal.

Why would you want to do that?

Well, modules that use SimplePie as part of their coding reconfigure it to make it work with their module. Some even publish feed items as nodes – and that’s fine if that’s what you want to do.

But what if you just want to put a simple feed in a block or a page without all the baggage from a module? Sorry, folks, those modules won’t help you do that. Their sole reason for existence is to take SimplePie and mold it into their code – not use SimplePie by itself.

However, you can get around that. (continue reading…)