Why RSS

Brent Simmons, developer of NetNewsWire, a free open-source RSS reader for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, interviewed on an episode of John Gruber’s podcast The Talk Show (my transcription):

I want people to use RSS. By the mid-2010s or whatever, it was clear that the social networks were leading down a very, very dark place. And RSS is still a thing, and it’s not owned by billionaires who are trying to monetize outrage or whatever, so I wanted to make sure that there was an RSS reader that was free, right? So people had no excuse not to use it other than they don’t want to. But there wouldn’t be any excuse like, Oh, I can’t afford it. Nope — totally free. It’s not supported by ads or any other thing. Doesn’t phone home, doesn’t trick anybody into anything, just perfectly free and just right there. That is my goal, remains my goal.

See also Brent’s statement of purpose: Why Write an RSS Reader.

I’ve been relying on NetNewsWire since October 2022. It’s a great app. Long may it wave, if apps can be said to wave. Or even if not.

[The episode aired in January 2026. I’m catching up.]