Unfortunate for me, one of my favorite Web 2.0 applications – SearchFox RSS – is going away. I received an email from Esteban Kozak, which read:
Thanks for all your help in making SearchFox what it is. We have enjoyed providing this service, and hope that you have enjoyed using it. Please export all of your links and an OPML file with your RSS sources before the site shuts down. In accordance with our privacy policy, we will delete all personal information on January 25 after we shut down the services.
I agree with Mike that the RSS reader space is “hyper competitive” in terms of the number of companies in the space. SearchFox RSS came closest to what I wanted but I’m still not happy with what many of them are doing. They need to read my five ways to improve web based feed aggregators as a starting point.
The larger picture though, is that companies in the RSS reader space really fear the writing on the wall – Microsoft is going to eat the lunch of most of these guys. With an integrated reader in IE 7 and Outlook 12, Microsoft will seamlessly integrate this technology and effectively make things like the Attensa Outlook plugin obsolete.
For my part, I still see a fairly solid opportunity to make a web based aggregator for the tech and early adopter community that could really blow all the others out of the water. I don’t see that investment being made though. There is no legitimate business model there and the number of players in this space, especially by the likes of GYM, would cause most companies and investors to think twice.
I’m sorry to see you go SearchFox! Rojo will become my default reader going forward.
Ken Yarmosh is a consultant who helps organizations get the most out of their technology investments. He works with technology users and creators across various industries, focusing on technology education and strategy. With over 7 years IT experience, Ken has worked with small businesses, non-profits, federal agencies, and multi-million dollar companies.
His online efforts include acting as the Editor for the Corante Technology Hub and authoring the TECHNOSIGHT blog.
