Starting with MacStories 3.0, we had to make some changes to the site’s RSS content that didn’t please a lot of people - we truncated our feed. Lots of things were happening in our workshop that we weren’t ready to roll out, namely a feature for previous subscribers who represented our original audience.
Exclusive: RSS Feeds and You
This is an exclusive post written specifically for current MacStories subscribers. If you don’t see it showing up on our home page, don’t worry!
When we launched MacStories 3.0 on Wednesday, we had to make a few difficult decisions about what we were going to do with our RSS feeds, and the announcement came with a lot of anger. “I’ll unsubscribe!” I’d unsubscribe too to be honest, but we had something planned we couldn’t implement at the last minute…an hour before launch.
Our goal was to implement what you see here: exclusive feeds made especially for our current subscribers. In WordPress it should be pretty easy – a lot of things are. However, some of our custom code did not like the publication of this exclusive content. Mainly, we had a lot of problems working with our new featured section you see at the top of the site. We didn’t want to sacrifice some of our site essentials at launch, so we decided to grin & bear it.
These exclusive feeds enable us allow us to introduce exclusive content that nobody else but you can see. And the first thing we wanted to do with our exclusive feeds was announce a special RSS feed free from the excerpt-only BS; everyone who has been with MacStories since the beginning deserves better.
The RSS feed link you’ll find below was made exclusively for our existing subscriber base – for the few thousand of our readers who continue to dedicate a portion of their inbox to our content. For that, we’re incredibly thankful and we really gritted our teeth when we threw you under the bus with our excerpt-only announcement. Future subscribers won’t immediately have the same luxuries you’re receiving this evening.
The full MacStories experience can be had in your favorite RSS reader through the following subscriber link. We call it the MacStories VIP feed.
feed://feeds.feedburner.com/macstories/vip
Again, we had planned to introduce this on Wednesday, but due to technical difficulties, we were unable to share this particular link with just our current subscribers. This wasn’t destined to be too public, as we would like future subscribers to land on the excerpt-only feeds for the time being.
In the future, all subscribers will have a choice between an excerpt-only feed, and a full ad supported feed. We may toy with the idea of a paid subscriber list, but we think that takes it too far if we don’t provide additional exclusive content. Anyone can subscribe to the MacStories VIP if they know it exists, but we really wanted to just share this little gem with our current subscribers - you’ve been with us far too long to be subjected to ads or excerpt-only mania.
Thanks for holding on for a couple of days while our very own Alessandro Vendruscolo (@MisterJack on Twitter) worked out the bugs. We appreciate your readership, and we hope to continue rolling out additional features to MacStories that will improve and diversify the content you read everyday. Next week, we’ll be making an announcement regarding just that - diversifying and expanding our content. In the meantime, we’re huddling and planning the latest features. Please enjoy the VIP feed, and we certainly hope you enjoy the new MacStories.
The 2nd Bundleecious 2 Giveaway - 5 More Bundles up for Grabs
Yesterday we gave away a handful of Bundleecious bundles to MacStorians looking to amp up productivity. Today, we’re giving away another five bundles.
Read more
The Bundleecious 2 Giveaway - 5 Bundles up for Grabs
Early today we brought you a little taste of the 2nd Bundleecious bundle to be neatly packaged and shipped off to thousands of Mac users in need of a good deal. But sometimes…you gotta have a free lunch. We’re giving away five bundles to some hungry Mac users, so click past the break for more information.
MacStories 3.0 iPad Giveaway: 35 Promo Codes Up for Grabs
You’ve had a chance to win some great utilities this morning for your Macintosh and iOS devices, so it’s only fair we give the iPad the royal treatment as well.
Below we’ve handpicked some outstanding iPad utilities (some universal!) that’s bound to enhance your productivity ten fold.
Bundleecious’ 2nd Bundle is Packed with Useful Utilities
Bundleecious has been offering their 2nd bundle for a few days now, but for readers who don’t know about this ten dollar steal, we think it’s only right to pass along some wallet friendly info. Let’s take a take a look inside, shall we?
MacStories 3.0 RSS Feeds & Mobile Optimization
New RSS feeds? Mobile optimization? Get the skinny on what we’re improving behind the scenes.
Welcome to MacStories 3.0
MacStories has really grown up the past few months, and thanks to accomplished pixel pushers such as Emanuel Sá and Silvia Gatta, masterful web developers like Alessandro Vendruscolo, and Federico’s passion for fueling consistent ballpark successes, we’re really proud to unveil a website that represents the culmination of lots of hard work. We not only managed to re-launch what we know to be best Mac and iOS blog out there, but we did it with the support of all of our wonderful readers who continue to be a driving source of motivation. It was in our interest to not only deliver a brand new experience, but to deliver one that feels like the mothership has finally landed. The new design is more than fantastic, and it only gets better from here on out.
The iPod Stocking Stuffers: iPod nano vs. iPod touch
Not too many people have gone hands-on with the new iPods, but I think I can make a safe bet as to whether this year’s stocking stuffer is going to be the iPod nano or the iPod touch.