Yesterday I wondered aloud why RSS readers look like email clients.

@brentsimmons replied. Turns out he borrowed that layout for NetNewsWire in 2002 — and twenty years later, he's asking why no one's tried something different.

That conversation became an essay. I built a visual version (with an ASCII fallback).

https://www.terrygodier.com/phantom-obligation

#rss

Phantom Obligation

Why RSS readers look like email clients, and what that's doing to us.

Terry Godier

@tg that was a very delightful essay, the visual version really gave it a nice (and surprisingly relaxing) touch

if you still need someone to try out what you're working on, i'd be more than happy to give it a shot :)

@darius of course! and thank you for reading!