...so the scribes at Royal Library of Ashurbanipal would sit at the feet of some wise oral historian with a chunk of wet clay in one hand and a stylus in the other, and mark down what they heard.  Occasionally, when one of them failed to understand what the message meant, they might ask for additional clarification.  They probably didn't yet realize that the physical transaction they were documenting would make the message of the history sage available to a far wider audience than ever before.  They also may not have realized that by translating what they were hearing into a more comprehensible and modern language, it would extend the life and the usefulness of the message.  Once they fired the clay and it hardened, and the tablet was placed into the library of organization, the message could conceivable be replayed for generations to come.

"Gilgamesh" was ...

"Gilgamesh" was just another story to the scribes, but it's value and popularity to those who read it later proved the strength of the technology on which the story was displayed. The Epic whose value would have likely eventually vanished along with some archaic language had it not be transcribed, instead gained popularity well beyond the command of the original character on which the tale was based and became the scaffolding for dozens of life lessons learned by numerous generations that were yet to come.

RSS is not so different.  By linking information to an XML file, and placing it in the organizational structure of the web and making the whole thing accesible to anyone who cares to seek it out, the writer/speaker can capture a thought or idea and make it potentially much more likely to be read and to preserve it's essence for a potentially much greater length of time.  Add to that, the capability to add an audio and/or video track to make the story more viable and it looks like we are again on the road to some Royal Library that will alter mankind's existence.

Amy Gahran understands what all this means and has taken the time to put pen to screen and help us get our heads around the concept.  The self-proclaimed "Content Strategist, and Info Provocateur" has put pen to screen to pass on a clear manual of instruction of RSS usage.  Her twelve part clay tablet of a blog, "What are Webfeeds (RSS) and Why Should You Care", should enhance anyone's grasp of Really Simple Syndication.  She writes what the wise ones have told her, but she puts it in the language of our day and hopefully has given us a long standing glimpse of something that will be with us for some years to come.   Take a little time to read a great tale.