billso.com

There’s nothing that new in the IS 6010 and IS 7010 RSS feeds that I set up on July 3, but users should be able to select and subscribe to either of these feeds in their web browser, by using the RSS icon in their browsers address bar or toolbar. A browser-based subscription is a good option for users who use their own computer to check this site.

Which feed is which?

For users who read this blog on several different computers or their mobile phone, try a Web-based RSS reader. Just click the RSS logo shown on the IS 6100 or IS 7010 course pages. There are several good readers from Bloglines, Yahoo, Google and other services.

The subscription pages also offer an email option. Yes, users can have the blog articles for their course emailed to them on a regular basis.

There’s no good reason for any of my students to subscribe to all of my RSS feeds. My students should pick the specific feed for their course:

For IS 6100, use http://rss.billso.com/billso6100/

For IS 7010, use http://rss.billso.com/billso7010/

For the entire billso.com blog, including every article in both of the feeds shown above, use http://rss.billso.com/billsocom

For more information about RSS feeds and how I use them in my courses, read my January 23rd article entitled “What’s all this about a blog?” or this more detailed article at softwaregarden.com

According to BusinessWeek, Amazon.com is revisiting an earlier plan to purchase Netflix. Amazon Unbox has failed to attract download customers with its limited library of Windows Media-based videos, so buying an established atom-based service like Netflix makes sense. Amazon’s model is based on selling and shipping physical objects. By link their customer preferences engine to the Netflix customer database, Amazon could move merchandise.

Customers want their rental DVDs ASAP

Blockbuster’s recent Total Access ad campaign points out a growing weakness in the Netflix business model: customers are now accustomed to renting movies in Internet time - even if that means driving to the local Blockbuster to swap a DVD.

It’s a nice twist, as a few years ago Blockbuster was losing market share to Netflix. Given the pathetic DRM that is baked into purchased video downloads, most e-consumers will choose the DVD over a software media player.

Regardless of the outcome, Amazon, Blockbuster and Netflix each need to counter iTunes’ dominant position in the US video download market. iTunes users seem comfortable with that delivery method.