FeedOnFeeds-Redux (FoFRedux)

About FeedOnFeeds-Redux

FeedOnFeeds-Redux (FoFRedux) is a continuation of the popular, but stagnated FeedOnFeeds project. FoFRedux provides a simple, yet effective browser-based news aggregator.

FoFRedux is now going strong with a new development team, lots of ideas, bugfixes, and fulfilled user feature requests. Our goal is to continue the early work of FeedOnFeeds and provide users with a useful, and fun to use tool. Check out some of our features, and the recent version history.

If you're curious why FoFRedux is worth using, read the section below on Why is a server side aggregator better?. If you found FoFRedux, you're more than likely in the market for a news aggregator and have seen the other browser-based aggregators. Checkout our short section on why FoFRedux may be a better solution for you. Lastly, check out our roadmap for an idea of where the future of FoFRedux is heading. And feel free to chime in on our forums to give us feedback on your thoughts, experiences, and any great ideas you may have.

Upcoming Interface Redesign

Now that FoFRedux v0.3 is out the door, we are doing a sorely needed interface redesign. BrokenKode has great mockups of the proposed design. Check out the FoFRedux Redesign section.

Why is a server side aggregator better than a desktop aggregator?

Desktop aggregators are great. They sit there all day, pinging away at sites, and as soon as they notice something new, they pop up little windows on your desktop, and let you read items. But what about when you go home from work? Or what about when you are on a trip? You get totally out of sync, and don't know what you've read and haven't read.

FeedOnFeeds-Redux solves this. It keeps track of what items you've read, and keeps happily checking up on your feeds no matter where you are. Whenever you want to see what's new, you just bring up a web page and scan the newest items. You can mark the items as read so they won't be shown again. Or, you can just always show the most recent N items, like the way LiveJournal's friends pages work. Also, having the aggregator in your browser eliminates the "impedance mismatch" that sometimes occurs between a desktop aggregator and your browser. All your native browsing methods work on a FoFRedux page. Open pages in new tabs, bookmark them for later, browse whatever way you like.

Furthermore, FoFRedux is an aggregator and not just a reader. What this means is you can produce your own RSS output feeds. Combine your feeds by category, tag, or search term. The output feeds can be shared and subscribed by friends, coworkers, and readers. Imagine pulling together all of your favorite sites on a topic and then providing a single combined feed on that topic. This is aggregation.

Because FoFRedux is browser-based, you don't need to install a client. You can read your news wherever you are, as long as you have a web browser. This means you can read your feeds on your cellphone, a pda, or an internet cafe. FoFRedux is tested extensively with Symbian phones, PocketPC, and the new Nokia 770 Internet Tablet.

Why FoFRedux and not some other browser-based aggregator?

There are many browser-based news aggregators out there now, with more showing up every day. Why is it worth it to download and install FoFRedux? Personalization and privacy are two big reasons.

Because you have your own personal install of FoFRedux, you are free to use and modify it in any way you want. We aim to keep the underlying code of FoFRedux simple and modifiable. We all joined the project because we hacked away at the code in our spare time and we hope you do to. Services such as Google, Bloglines, and Feedburner choose what features you get in your aggregator and you are limited to their servers. Furthermore, you can only guess what they're doing with all the tracking information they get from your use of their service. FoFRedux is just for you, however you want it, wherever you want it.

FoFRedux provides an easy method of adding single feeds or uploading an OPML file of feeds. After you've added your feeds, you can create and assign categories to feeds for later reading and marking of specific sets of feeds. Furthermore, FoFRedux is one of the first news aggregators to consume and use GeoRSS geographic notation. Get more information about where news is occuring. Users can view their feeds in a single view, marking articles as they are read, or use frames for easier jumping between feed sources.

Features

Usable - a simple interface means you get to your feeds from anywhere in the world, even your cellphone, pocketpc, laptop, or internet cafe
Modifiable - the simple codebase makes it very easy for self-modification
Active development - we have a great new development team who is working hard to add many features and support current and future users. Also, because FoFRedux is written to be hackable, we're always accepting patches and modifications from other users.
Personalizable - your installation, do what you want with you, you're not limited by whatever the "service" chooses to do with your data
Searchable - looking for that interesting bit of information you read about last week? search for it in all your feeds
Categories - help sort your feeds, view and mark feeds by category
Aggregation - mix & match, create new feeds based on your interests, categories, etc. Good for sites, companies, families, or friends
Geoannotation - one of the first aggregators to consume and use GeoRSS, feeds and items with geo-annotation (latitude & longitude) can be viewed and nearby locations found on GeoURL

Version History