Comments on: RSS needs a "login" capability of sorts http://dragonspeed.wordpress.com/2004/09/15/rss-needs-a-login-capability-of-sorts/ My musings and things I find on the web Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:34:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: whyamistilltyping http://dragonspeed.wordpress.com/2004/09/15/rss-needs-a-login-capability-of-sorts/#comment-1121 whyamistilltyping Sun, 13 Jan 2008 11:46:53 +0000 http://dragonspeed.wordpress.com/2004/09/15/rss-needs-a-login-capability-of-sorts/#comment-1121 To be honest I don’t know how it could have been, RSS is not really a standard but a subset utilising the XML standard. XML does not (and would not) allow for authentication because it is essentially a flat file that provides an extremely flexible way of storing and retrieving data. RSS grew out of a simple modification of XML, there is no server transaction when a browser or client requests a .xml or .rss apart from the usual HTTP protocol stuff... What you are suggesting could (can?) be done, but it would require a separate authentication layer followed by a dynamically created RSS feed on the server side selectively served as per a preset rules based system. To be honest I don’t know how it could have been, RSS is not really a standard but a subset utilising the XML standard. XML does not (and would not) allow for authentication because it is essentially a flat file that provides an extremely flexible way of storing and retrieving data.

RSS grew out of a simple modification of XML, there is no server transaction when a browser or client requests a .xml or .rss apart from the usual HTTP protocol stuff…

What you are suggesting could (can?) be done, but it would require a separate authentication layer followed by a dynamically created RSS feed on the server side selectively served as per a preset rules based system.

]]> By: dragonspeed http://dragonspeed.wordpress.com/2004/09/15/rss-needs-a-login-capability-of-sorts/#comment-1005 dragonspeed Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:48:19 +0000 http://dragonspeed.wordpress.com/2004/09/15/rss-needs-a-login-capability-of-sorts/#comment-1005 You're right. That's the big problem. I think it's too late now. It would have been nice to have this incorporated back then, when RSS was still pretty young. You’re right. That’s the big problem. I think it’s too late now. It would have been nice to have this incorporated back then, when RSS was still pretty young.

]]> By: whyamistilltyping http://dragonspeed.wordpress.com/2004/09/15/rss-needs-a-login-capability-of-sorts/#comment-1004 whyamistilltyping Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:10:34 +0000 http://dragonspeed.wordpress.com/2004/09/15/rss-needs-a-login-capability-of-sorts/#comment-1004 I dont know if it would work. RSS XML formats dont allow for such functionality. You would need to layer in some HTTP Authentication in order for it to work. Do-able, remaining existing standards compilant would be the main issue. Not that I am an expert at all on the subject :) I dont know if it would work. RSS XML formats dont allow for such functionality. You would need to layer in some HTTP Authentication in order for it to work. Do-able, remaining existing standards compilant would be the main issue.

Not that I am an expert at all on the subject :)

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