RSS, a simple XML document, aimed primarily at desktop consumption, and delivered along RESTful principals, is currently the best example of Web services in widespread use. Web services happened behind our backs while were all watching big companies trying come to grips with SOAP.

Those who read between the lines of these conversations can intuit that RSS is rapidly approaching a critical mass in the enterprise. Notification, subscription, presence, and awareness services are congealing into a real-time events-based information routing fabric that outpaces other existing legacy channels. Such channels include email, developer conferences, print publications, and broadcast media.

From Steve Gillmor's Blogosphere - Tuesday, April 13, 2004 Entries
Referenced Wed Apr 14 2004 10:28:45 GMT-0600

Steve's right. RSS is reaching a tipping point. RSS is simple enough that there's not much hype. People just use it. That's not to say that other Web services won't come of age in time--I think they will. But RSS is first because its viral just like the Web was in 1994. Once you use it, you tell your friends about it and how "cool" it is. Not many people email me to say "you've got to try this new SOAP service I just found!!" Its too difficult to consume or its probably just a toy.