I see a lot of options for self-hosting RSS subscriptions and I don’t actually understand what they are for. The very nature of RSS is that it tracks and connects to online content. It seems like having a home server track and download the content just so that you can download it on another device from your server instead of the original servers a bit redundant. Also, it seems like the clients are more limited, since it has ro connect to your personal host, as opposed to the many RSS readers available.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I genuinely don’t get it. What am I missing?

  • bladewdr@infosec.pubEnglish
    2·
    14 hours ago

    There are several reasons.

    1. As others have commented - centralization. I have ONE place that I go to catch up on the internet. I don’t have to remember to check the 30+ ish blogs that I’m following.
    2. It avoids any algorithms, so I only see what I have chosen to see.
    3. Did you know that each and every YouTube channel has its own RSS feed? It’s far more reliable than YouTube’s own notifications.
    4. It’s a far more pleasant reading experience than most websites.
  • TheFogan@programming.devEnglish
    1·
    3 days ago

    For me the main point is, syncronization. Point is I want to read on my phone, or if i go to another computer catch up on it. If I set up a seperate RSS reader on each, then I’d have to figure out what’s read and what’s not. Honestly that’s a feature that google reader really had me spoiled in, I loved being able to use a work computer, browse through my rss feeds, star articles that I thought I may want to come back to, go home look at the starred ones and then go back.

    Then google reader shut down, and I wanted to be able to do the same again, while also not being vulnerable to another shut down.

  • cRazi_man@europe.pubEnglish
    1·
    3 days ago

    I host Tiny Tiny RSS.

    • my list of subscriptions and categorisations are centralised so I don’t have to set this up on any other device. I can access this on my phone, tablet and PC.
    • it synchronises read/unread stories across devices so I don’t have to keep sifting through the same articles I’ve seen.
    • I’ve got a long list of blacklisted words. I don’t want to hear about sports news, celebrity gossip, USA-centric news, “he said/she said” bullshit from social media that mainstream news seems to love to report, etc. Now I can set up my blacklist in one place centrally.
    • there are a lot of great apps that will access the server RSS feed. I’m never actually going to to TTRSS browser page.

    The point isn’t to download content to the server at all. It’s to keep the centralised list. I host opodsync (Gpodder podcast server) for the same reason.