RSS feed icons and what they represent were first developed back in the late 90s. Ever since, the icons for RSS have been floating around the internet, quietly lurking in the background until someone stumbles upon them. But, as more people use the internet and technology advances, and as people are looking for things that make life quicker and easier, RSS feeds lists are finally beginning to come to the forefront of internet technology and are becoming popular with the newest wave of internet user.

Aside from private users, such as a Blogger RSS feed, every news organization on the web offers an RSS feed, as well as any organization blog or web comic. Even businesses are taking advantage of those handy RSS feed icons in this quiet RSS boom. For businesses and independent publishers alike, plug ins have been developed for RSS feeds. They allow the publisher to examine their feed activity, track the number of subscribers that they have, and even see how much their online traffic could be contributing to their business.

But the climb is still a slow one. Only about 9.5 percent of the American population regularly uses an RSS reader. And yet approximately 57 percent of internet users wish they could spend less time looking for information through a search engine. Something an RSS feed could directly alleviate.

The number one problem that RSS feeds face is their lack of exposure and the fact that people just do not know what they are. Heck, even RSS users have no clue. It has been found that only about 17 to 32 percent of RSS feed users actually know what the RSS feed actually is!

The culprit for this uninformed RSS population is due to its having been around for so long with such little fanfare. The current generation of internet user was born after RSS feeds were! So, because they were so ignored for so long, most users are just unaware. They may recognize the RSS feed icons, those little orange boxes with white waves emanating to the upper right hand corner, but probably would not be able to tell you what they are for.

So, the most important move for RSS is a two pronged attack. RSS must continue to be useful, and grow even more so as people rely on the technology for regular, every day things. Especially if they are relying on that tech without even knowing it! We are looking at you, 17 to 32 percent. And the other prong is to spread the knowledge! Educating and informing the public on what RSS is and all of the things that it can do to make life that much easier.