GMail Getting RSS Aggregation Feature?

pramodbiligiri writes "Some blogs are saying that a few GMail users can see a "Web Clips" part at the top of their inbox, where you can subscribe to RSS feeds and view them. Evan Williams, formerly of Blogger.com has a screenshot More on this at Gmail Adding Feed Reading and Google inches closer to RSS"

Comments

Next Week

[Anonymous Coward]

Slashdot integrates gmail into the main page!

Two lines of code will turn any email to RSS

[Flywheels of Fire]

Why do you need gmail when the following simple piece code can do it?

$rss_feed = file_get_contents('http://example1.com/feed.rss');
mail('...@example2.com', 'RSS Feed from Example1.com', $rss_feed,
'Content-Type: application/rss+xml');

RSS On Slashdot: Iran captures three CIA agents

Yup

[mfh]

I saw an RSS feed autodiscovered on my Gmail acct a while ago... maybe even as much as a couple months ago. Tried to subscribe but it wouldn't parse. Maybe that was a sign of the things to come.

Re:Yup

[Anonymous Coward]

That's the RSS feed for your Gmail inbox. That's not what this is referring to, which is an RSS reader in Gmail.

The URL for your gmail feed is:

https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom

Presumably it uses the persistant Gmail cookie to determine your account information.

Re:Yup

[aurumaeus]

The RSS feed on Google has worked for a while. It just requires authentication, which it seems FIrefox doesn't handle well. It works perfectly on Safari. One more reason to get a Mac. :)

so google news then?

[learn fast]

So, can they put up RSS feeds for Google News now?

Re:so google news then?

[bigpat]

Wouldn't this be counterproductive for google news? I mean presumably the RSS feeds go directly to the articles not to the google news page itself. So, whatever indirect benefit from aggregating news they are currently deriving from news.google.com would be even more indirect.

And I ask...

[wlan0]

Who spends this much time on the webmail? If you're in your email long enough to read that, you probably are using an E-mail client and downloading using POP3.

Re:And I ask...

[Quai]

Well, try gmails ui and you will discover a web-ui that is better than most email-clients out there.

Re:And I ask...

[TrippTDF]

Not since I got gmail.

I was paying $20 a year for Yahoo! Plus, and using POP3 at work and at home, but then I got gmail, and I liked the interface so much, I let my Y!+ expire.

I'm on my gmail account all day long, checking in with other friends at work (ok, SLACKING OFF), and having an RSS feed at the top would be kind of cool.

This is more proof that Google has a lot more in store for gmail, as well as other services.

Re:And I ask...

[jbarr]

No, no, no. This comes up all the time. For me, a Web-based email account is essential because I can access it from anywhere I have Web access. And Gmail's UI is more like a "real client" than most, so the need for a dedicated client is really eliminated.

Gmail is an excellent example of a Web-enabled app that really make the Web experience pleasant and productive.

-Jim
GmailTips.com

Re:And I ask...

[LiENUS]

Gmail is turning in to a lot more than email. Using the labels and filters I have my logs emailed to my Gmail account nightly and automatically sort them according to where they came from. Since I archive and keep all emails if I need logs from a certain day I just search and find it. Since I'm checking Gmail several times a day if I could have rss aggregated in as well I could put something like slashdot in and be able to check slashdot while I'm reading through the daily logs. In addition to checking logs I also submit class assignments through Gmail. All of the stuff I do in Gmail means I spend a lot of time in it.

Google has mastered internet marketing...

[0x461FAB0BD7D2]

There is nothing more powerful than offering exclusive services to those at the top of the blogosphere and watching the news, and the hype, trickle down to other sites. This builds up anticipation for the service, and when they deliver it is an epiphany.

It's not only that Gmail's services are better. It knows how to market them online.

Imagine the possibilities!

[aftk2]

I mean, think about it - with Google already supporting RSS feeds for mail messages, now we'll actually be able to get our GMail mail through web clips. Imagine - being able to get Google Mail through Google Mail - Revolutionary!

Er, wait a minute...

Cleaner Interface

[IAmTheDave]

While I love GMail's functionality, I think it could probably use a UI overhaul if they are going to start adding content blocks or make GMail a portal of any sort.

That said, how cool would it be to have a full AJAX client in Gmail that returned search results from the web/images/video, maintained my open inbox, let me read RSS, watch video clips, IM or IRC... a man can dream...

Re:Cleaner Interface

[aftk2]

Pst. I've got an app that lets me use GMail, search, read RSS, watch video, play games, and do tons of other internet stuff. It's got tabs, so you can maintain one area's state while you work with another. It's awesome.

Look at it here. But don't tell anyone!@#!

It's coming...

[jbarr]

...I don't have it on my account yet, but when I do, I'll post all the details on my GmailTips.com site.

This will be very nice addition. I just hope that Gmail doesn't become bogged down with extras. My wish is that all of these kinds of extras be togglable through Settings...

Carp

[mfh]

Google and Slashdot really are merging!

More carp. Slashdot supported Google a long time ago, before it was even a relevant/functional search option... only a budding infrastructure.... only a fresh idea. I keep seeing the bashing of Google posts on Slashdot and I have to wonder why? Why do you care if Slashdot covers the most relevant search engine in the world? Isn't anything Google does NEWS FOR NERDS, STUFF THAT MATTERS?

Ooohh... Google

[nyri]

This is 21st Google article in this month and third today. What is it with Google that every sigle thing they do has to be reported on slashdot?

I'm not the only one with complains about what is put on the front page. How about moderation system to the articles on fron page/in sections. If a article is moderated enough down it will drop from the front page to the section and if it is still moderated it might drop out of the system all together. Articles could also rise from the section to the front page.

This would solve Roland Piquepaille, Google, and Dupes in a single strike.

Re:Ooohh... Google

[toolshed7]

Do you have a 2 button mouse or one with a scroll or maybe you got a crazy one button mouse?Instead of complaining like a nancy, I usally just scroll paste the articles....It is crazy....but it is just me. Almost forgot...the up and down errors work as well...give it a try.

Why the hate?

[varun]

I really don't understand why people are cribbing about /.'s coverage of Google. Google *is* one of the fastest innovating companies out there, coupled with being one whose products are widely used. They are a revolutionary company in many respects.

I *do* want to hear about the first email service to give me "unlimited" storage. I *do* want to hear about satellite images on maps (I need the landmarks. I'm horrible with directions :-P ). I *do* want to hear about uber-cool features such as Suggest (albeit not really useful, it's still fascinating for any web hacker).

Google, to me, is a company that is a break from the norm - both technologically and business-wise. It's refreshing and intruiging. And I'd like hear from someone who can argue (rationally) against the fact that they have had a huge impact on the WWW.

Re:Why the hate?

[astrashe]

I don't hate google -- I use their various services a couple of hundred times a day. They're a great company.

I'm a little worried about the hype surrounding them, though. I'm not so much worried about anything google has done, or said they plan to do, as about the hype. People keep speculating about how google will be a platform, and how great it will be when they keep all of your data on their servers, and anyone with a web browser can get at it.

The problem with that is that it's a big step backwards from microsoft, freedom wise. The google guys seem like nice guys, and they have their famous "don't be evil" motto and all of that. But the point of all of the whole open source thing is freedom -- it's having control over your own computer and your own data.

There are two problems with Microsoft. The first, and most obvious one, is that they're jerks. They spread fud, they've tried to kill off startups by announcing vaporware in the past, they twist hardware manufacturer's arms, threaten, and bully people.

But there's another problem -- the structure of the commercial software system isn't good. Microsoft abuses it's power -- but would it be ok if another corporate culture were administering that power in a less abusive way? Isn't an open source world still preferable?

Google is a like a good and just king. They don't bully people, they don't make threats, they don't throw their weight around. But they are slowly and surely consolidating a lot of control over the flow of information, generally speaking, in the world. That's scary as hell. They've never done anything that makes me think that they have evil designs. But it's still scary.

What's going to happen when the current management dies or retires? What if they get kicked out? Jobs got kicked out of Apple?

I don't mean to suggest that we should be terrified of google, or that we should think of them as a negative force in the world. But a more sophisticated inquiry into what's happening and what the long term consequences of it might be is certainly appropriate.

In particular, whiz-bang "gee, google came out with a new free-beer gadget that I love!" articles don't help much. I don't know that they hurt that much, but they don't help.

Re:Google and Slashdot really are merging!

[nametaken]

Yeah, you think that's scary? I just noticed this. I dunno how long this has been around, but I think someone has a sense of humor.

Great feature, but...

[pseudolus]

I can't help but feel sorry for the 3 people in this country who still don't have a Gmail account. If only there were some other way for them to get news on the web...

What?!

[KipCas]

There are 3 people left on earth who don't have a Gmail account?! Time to put those invites back on ebay.

Someday...

[Eskimore_]

Someday the term 'Internet access' will be replaced with 'Google access'.

Google is the idea Pinky and The Brain should have had.

Re:Someday...

[jd]

Shhh! That's why they stopped making the cartoons. Brain did take over the world. Just don't let others know.

How about some basic features?

[LordJezo]

Sure, RSS is nice, but how about adding in something basic like distribution lists so I don't have put all the contacts in for each email list I send out?

Re:How about some basic features?

[alexo]

Or IMAP?

Concentrate on more important features first

[alexo]

Bells and whistles are nice but how about adding IMAP compatibility and more configurable filtering (Sieve scripts perhaps?).

Cool service

[Eternally optimistic]

I can aggregate everyone's email now and read it as news? Sure is more interesting than just mine.

Pissing and Moaning

[Xarius]

Everyone no doubt has set up an elaborate shell script to automatically comment on google stories, bemoaning the amount of news about google on slashdot.

Don't see any else whinging about the amount of Linux coverage, or OSS coverage.

Everyone's looking for the new "big company" to make snarky comments about.

not what i'm looking for

[undertow3886]

Let me know when they provide RSS feeds for tracking shipments. The thing they just added for searching for tracking numbers is a step in the right direction, though.

Another Google thread... how bout Yahoo?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yahoo has been doing amazing stuff with a lot of their sites. My Yahoo Search, Groups, Yahoo 360, Yahoo news just got a makeover. They've had RSS on My Yahoo for a long time now.

Seriously, why is Slashdot focused only on Google when Yahoo is also doing all of these great things to their site? Is it just Google stardom that's gotten to you guys?

Re:Does Gmail have a full release date yet?

[rathehun]

From Wikipediia :

Vaporware (or vapourware) is software or hardware which is announced by a developer well in advance of release, but which then fails to emerge, either with or without a protracted development cycle. The term implies deception, or at least a negligent degree of optimism; that is, it implies that the announcer knows that product development is in too early a stage to support responsible statements about its completion date, feature set, or even feasibility.

Now, as far as I know, GMail is available, last time I checked worked as advertised and was available to almost anybody who wanted one. (If you are one of the three people on this earth who doesn't have one, email me, I'll send you one immediately.).

Also, be aware of the fact that to qualify as being vaporware, the provider of the service needs to announc these features. Not Slashdot. Not someone over at blogspot. Google.

R.

Re:Simple piece of code

[Moofie]

Yeah, stupid Google, whose free services are well designed and useful...they MUST be up to something.

Whatever dude.