Help your RSS feeds read your mind

RSS changed my life. Now, I know this might sound a little dramatic, but trust me, learning to get the most out of RSS really revolutionized the way I used the Internet. Pheedstorm is an RSS manager that promises to go one step further, attempting to analyze each article to determine whether or not the content will be of interest to you. Obviously, Pheedstorm isn’t psychic, so you’ll have to give it some help to do this.

Pheedstorm comes pre-set with some general news feeds so you have an idea of how it works. It presents a list of feed results in the window on the left of the interface, and a brief preview of each result on the right. There is also a link provided, so you can click through to any articles that catch your attention. Underneath the preview window is a ratings bar that is obviously of prime importance to the program. For each article Pheedstorm shows you, you rate it so that the program can register the information and save it up for future reference.

This main Pheedstorm interface can be modified and the results sorted by various filters. Unread articles are marked in red, and there is a small window beneath the ratings bar that shows you the status of your RSS updates. Pheedstorm also provides a news ticker which can be displayed on your screen even when the program itself is closed.

Pheedstorm’s ‘config’ options are where you can really tweak the program to your liking. The configuration screen allows you to manually add the URLs of RSS feeds for inclusion in the program, provides you with sample feeds (in case you are stuck for inspiration) and lets you import OPML files – lists of RSS feeds.

Another important option also lurks here – the keyword section. By clicking on ‘manage’, you will be presented with keyword sets which you can add to or delete as you wish. Obviously this is where you will specify the topics and issues that interest you most, so it is worth paying special attention to this area.

For Pheedstorm to really learn about your RSS preferences, you will have to invest both effort and time – effort when modifying keywords and article ratings, and time to let the program build up a usable stash of data. Once you have programmed it to your liking, it would be fascinating to give it some headroom and see what exactly it can do. If Pheedstorm can really anticipate what articles I will or won’t like, it might just constitute another RSS revolution.

Pheedstorm’s RSS management is a fascinating idea that is well worth a try.