Inspired by Alltop
While anyone can accomplish the same for themselves with any free RSS Reader, the fact is that many people either don't have the time or the inclination to do it for themselves.
The benefit to the blogs that he's selected for inclusion in the Alltop framework is simple - more eyeballs. By aggregating the best blogs around selected topics, each will benefit from proximity to excellence within it's category.
The idea was inspired by PopURLs, and it's very clean design was executed by Electric Pulp.
I expect that this site, like Guy's previous project Trumors, will be a success. He's removing the barriers to readership, by building the reading lists for the readers. You don't need to understand RSS or how to use a Reader. No need to organize blogs within topic. No need to spend the time to discover the most popular blogs. Users just need to know how to click on an article.
Chances are, as people discover Alltop, they'll become addicted to the various blogs featured within.
This is an idea worth adapting for Corporate use.
In my experience, the value of RSS is not being leveraged effectively within most businesses. We still rely on printed reports, or emailed presentations and time consuming update/status meetings and conference calls. Getting information is still a challenge, requiring time and effort.
Imagine a world where your company intranet was a simple interface like Alltop. Imagine headings like;
Strategy - featuring internal blog feeds on market development, sales and marketing efforts, geographic expansion or acquisitions
Talent - fed by Job opening blog (or application) and your Corporate YouTube training channel
Execution - fed by your Lean Processes Blog, 5S efforts, Process Improvement project blogs or RSS capable Project Management applications etc
Ideas & Innovation - an assembly of thought leaders blogs (hint: check out Alltop's EGOs section).
Competition - fed by pre-defined Google Alerts for your industry and direct competition as well as RSS feeds from industry related publications.
Our Priorities - internal blogs which detail progress on the most important tasks your company is undertaking.
I could go on and on, but you get the idea.
Create several blogs within your organization's network. Find a couple of early adopters. Get them started publishing and show them how their efforts are seamlessly published to the company via your new Alltop style intranet.
Guy - if you could donate an open source version of Alltop for internal Corporate use, you'd likely make America a far more efficient place to work. Until that happens, I.T. people, get started on your own version!
