Amazon.com Syndicated Content is delivered in RSS format. RSS is a standard format (in XML) for delivering content that changes on a regular basis. Content is delivered in small chunks, generally a synopsis, preview, or headline. Selected categories, subcategories and search results in Amazon.com stores now have RSS feeds associated with them, delivering a headline-view of the top 10 bestsellers in that category or set of search results.

This is very cool, though the feeds a little hard to find at first. Don’t look for the orange XML or RSS buttons – use RSS autodiscovery to find the feed associated with a search. (In other words, the URL will be in a link tag in the header of a search results page.)

<p>And though I don&#8217;t really want to stir up trouble, I find it strange that Amazon uses <span class="caps">RSS</span> v0.91, and that they link to <i>Netscape</i> (an all but defunct entity) and not a spec hosted by UserLand or <a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/today/article348552.html">Harvard</a>.</p>

<p>Anyway, at least they&#8216;re providing feeds in <strong>some</strong> format!</p>

shortname=amazon_rss