I’ve been using RSS reader for almost more than 15 years. Right start from graduated from college. It’s amazed to see all kinds of different forms product on top of this open (while also chaotic) format.

There are native apps, AI based, open source web apps. We’ve never been at a time lacking of RSS readers. While bother creating another one?

First of all, I love working on open data. Same reason why I love the open web so much. You don’t need to get permission in order to scrape a webpage (unless you commercialize the product which is a different topic), you don’t need permission in order to write a MonkeyScript to make the web page looks like what you wanted. It’s the librating and freedom this platform enabled attracts me so much.

Second, I always want a little bit different here and there for the RSS reader I wanted. For example, I want a different theme or font in order to focus reading a long article, I want to highlight some parts or write something about it, sometimes I also want the reader just generate a PDF offline for me without open the webpage, I also want to read the full article of some feeds while they somehow configured it just to read the first paragraph.

Last but not least, I am hoping to create something beyond just a RSS reader, something a little bit bigger scope for my online readings, like read it later.

Ultimately, it’s the experience of building such thing matters the most.