Who wants some OPML?

Dave Winer, soon to be found here, doesn’t need to pay me to read this: … get started building a directory for each of three subjects you’re passionate about and knowledgable of.

I already have my GotzeLinked directory, and there at least three categories I’m passionate about and knowledgable of. I now consider making dynamically all content available in OPML, as Dave asks for (it shouldn’t be too hard). Currently, my content is available in old RSS 0.91, which does the job for my simple use, such as for running my blogrolls and a few news services. I’ve considered adding feeds in RDF/RSS1.0 and maybe RSS 2.0, but perhaps OPML is better? Or maybe it’s not either or? It’s not much more work to create a completely new template instead of just updating old ones, so I guess one should be generous with feeding whatever wants to be fed, in whichever format it wants to be fed in, as long as it is a reasonable request. OPML might be so. I occationally have use for my newsfeed OPML, so why not try using it for distributed and loosely coupled directory services.

Having said that, it should be no surprise that I also see a connection to my thematic tracks idea here, and to trackback in general.

I’ve played with the idea of trackback-enabling my directory, so that when I add a new link about this and that to the directory, a trackback ping (category-related) would be sent off to whomever wants it. Instead of “pull” (MT fectching RSS-feed on MT-update) it would be “push” (the directory trackback pinging MT).

How would OPML fit in here? Dave uses OPML as the source code for his directory. I use a MySQL-database and Links SQL, which builds static HTML-pages and generates XML on the fly. Where Dave uses his outliner, I use my bookmarklet. Not much use for OPML there, I think.