RSS usage report from Yahoo

I agree with Dave Winer who describes Yahoo’s RSS usage report as a must read. Here’s a few highlights that grabbed me (perhaps biased to Yahoo who funded the survey).

RSS use findings

• 27% of Internet users consume RSS syndicated content on personalized start pages (e.g., My Yahoo!, My MSN) without knowing that RSS is the enabling technology.
• Even tech-savvy “Aware RSS Users” prefer to access RSS feeds via user-friendly, browser-based experiences (e.g., My Yahoo!, Firefox, My MSN).
• My Yahoo! has the highest awareness and use of any RSS-enabled product.
• Though world news and national news are currently the RSS content of choice, at 52%, niche oriented content via blogs (23%) and podcasting (11%) are gaining quickly.
• 69% of users have a positive experience.
• 24% of “Aware RSS Users” mentioned “ease” or “convenience” as the leading benefit.
• 18% claim they value the ability to choose what they want to read.

RSS is further evidence that people like that technology which makes their lives easier. Whether its obtaining competitive intelligence as a lawyer, reading about what you like and from whom or finding content to blog about, RSS makes your life easier.