If I want to quickly pitch “you should follow X, Y, and Z using RSS because [problems with social media]” to people who have never heard of RSS, what readers should I recommend?
I want at least web (not self-hosted), Android, and iOS options. Native apps for Mac and Windows would be nice as well. Linux users probably already know what RSS is.
There absolutely must be a free option good for at least 25 feeds because unfamiliar tech is a hard enough sell without having to pay. I’ll grudgingly accept ads if that’s the tradeoff for something beginner-friendly.
Feeder is as good as it gets.
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.nononsenseapps.feeder/
It’s free and open source for android.
+1 for feeder.
I like Inoreader
Yeah I can vouch for Inoreader as well.
I have used Feedly before. But that was years ago. Feeder might be another service to consider.
All of these services should have (either first or third party) apps for Android and iOS.
Feedly is the most user-friendly (albeit also perhaps privacy-unfriendly) option imo. I used them for years before I started self-hosting through FreshRSS. If you are targeting someone unfamiliar, I’d go that route
Idk man. If one of my friends gave me that spiel I’d nod along and never actually download or subscribe or whatever. I have to be already interested in finding an RSS feed to have any interest in anyone’s recommendation.
Nobody is interested in finding an RSS feed. People are interested in getting updates when writers they like post new writing, when bands they like post new tour dates, etc…
One of the use cases I have in mind is styling an RSS feed as a web page and including a short explanation of how to use it. That comes with a need to suggest specific software.
I don’t think that RSS is a reasonable alternative for social media at all. Different use case for me.
I mean, I’d use it if I had a selection of known sources that publish content regularly that I like enough of to see all the content and have a website. Only a few sources actually meet that bar for me. Then, RSS lets me put a common interface on all of them, combines a list of new content.
I use something like Reddit or the Fediverse to take advantage of people finding useful content elsewhere, which is kind of a different use case.
I mean, you’re on social media here, rather than just following an RSS feed, so presumably RSS doesn’t replace social media for you either.
I’m coming at it from the opposite side; social media isn’t a reasonable alternative to RSS, but people often use it as such. RSS is as you say, for getting updates from specific sources without being at the mercy of a third-party’s recommendation algorithm.
NewsBlur is awesome. Great web interface, native apps for mobile, super customizable, and the developer is a great dude. I’ve been using it for a few years now since I got tired of running my own ttrss instance.
I’m really liking Unread on iPad and iPhone. That is all.
Really love the flym reader. Just works, no ads.
Unfortunately, Flym seems to be discontinued (according to its F-Droid entry). Google Play won’t install it on newer versions of Android because it’s built for older versions. I can’t use it for this use case for that reason.
That’s too bad. And that will be a challenge for me, when I upgrade my current phone.
It still installs and runs on Android 13, but Google Play won’t give it to you. I’m going to assume from the username you don’t need instructions.
I use Newsexplorer for upwards of 40 feeds now. Never had an issue.
Don’t know if it might help but I’m using “Feeeed” RSS for Reddit and the likes Feeeed RSS IOS link and I’m using “RSS mobile” for news RSS mobile IOS link.
Hope they might be useful to you.
ttrss.
Yes the dev/forum can be harsh. It is still good software.
It may be, but self-hosted isn’t suitable for the audience I’m talking about.
My bad. 😑
