Dave Winer says RSS wasn't invented.
He says:
I wonder what that word could be...
Maybe it evolved. Maybe the universe gifted it to us. Maybe the people at the right time and at the right place knew in their bones that something like it was necessary and decided that making it work was more important than owning it.
I particularly like this paragraph:
These sorts of things happen (on scale) rarely. But when they do great things happen.
As a result of his post, I also did a little re-reading on the Wikipedia entry for RSS.
He says:
"It wasn't invented. Something else happened, something harder than invention, imho -- an activity that we don't have a word for in the English language."
I wonder what that word could be...
Maybe it evolved. Maybe the universe gifted it to us. Maybe the people at the right time and at the right place knew in their bones that something like it was necessary and decided that making it work was more important than owning it.
I particularly like this paragraph:
"RSS, unlike other XML inventions, has made a difference. If you want to understand what made RSS happen, it's the innovation, evangelism and commitment that was behind it, not the invention, because I said before, and as everyone seems to agree, it wasn't invented. But we lack a good word for the other stuff, so sheez, what's the big deal if they substitute "invention" for all that? I've looked the other way. But to say I was the "self-proclaimed" inventor is just wrong, I just nod my head when others say it, because I'm tired of arguing."
These sorts of things happen (on scale) rarely. But when they do great things happen.
As a result of his post, I also did a little re-reading on the Wikipedia entry for RSS.