Library clips

From the makers of OPML search comes a revamped OPML workstation, not only does it convert powerpoint into OPML, but it is a new OPML experience….here is a rundown.

Browse

Once you login you can enter an OPML URL and browse, but this won’t have a permalink unless it was created or saved in OPML workstation…the reason I say this is that you can browse any URL at OPML Surfer and OPML Browser, where the URL is kept unique.

But once you have created or imported an OPML (in OPML Workstation) just add it to your account, and it will generate a unique OPML URL, and also a outline URL.

From here you can also import the file or email it to a friend

Import

- convert to PowerPoint
- paste in code
- import OPML local file
- import OPML URL

This is a totally robust feature set…also when you are making an OPML you have to select the OPML type eg. blogroll, Reading List, Music List, Link Directory

…this is so they can be categorised later on to help navigate discovery.

You can also restrict access, or make it publicly available, and also select to have it indexed at OPML search….and why not validate it while you are at it.

Create

- from scratch
- import an OPML

- nodes can be shifted up and down using the green arrows on the work bar
- nodes can be placed within another node by using the left and right arrows on the work bar
(the node being moved to, becomes a folder)
(each node has a white arrow, black arrows denote the node as a folder)

- delete a node using the red X on the work bar
- create a new node using the green box on the work bar

It lacks drag and drop which is always handy.

There is an Update button to refresh a node, and a save button on the work bar.

Attributes

Each node has a set of attributes: text, htmlUrl (link), xmlUrl (feed), created, etc…
when adding an OPML URL (inclusion), just add it as a link (htmlUrl)

It seems you can add attributes and make your own.

Forgot to mention there is a small box that you can use as a Working Area for the temporary storage of text

My OPML

This lists all the OPML URL’s you have created, plus you can browse an outline URL for each one
(these are both permalinks that you can refer people to).

THE OUTLINE VIEW

- if your node is text, well just have a read
- if your node is HTML, it will launch to the native site
- if your node is RSS, it will launch to the RSS URL of the native site
- if your node is OPML, it will have a read arrow next to it, this is OPML inclusion…see more.

Clicking on a red arrow will open to another page within OPML Workstation to show this separate OPML URL (just like browsing in OPML Surfer or OPML Browser)…I was hoping it would just show it within the same page, like the KOZOPMLBROWSER, but then this is no ordinary outliner (browser), it is an outliner made into some sort of reader.

OPML Manager lacks this feature all together, if you click on a red arrow, it will launch to the raw OPML URL, instead of another outline, as is done in OPML Workstation.

Read the feed here

Also every node in the outline has an extra link called “Read the feed here”…this launches to OPML search where you can read the latest posts from that feed (as mentioned above, in the KOZOPMLBROWSER this launches within the same page within the actual outline tree…basically an RSS reader as part of the outline)

(NOTE: I wish I could do this directly from OPML Search, just enter a feed address and see the latest posts…like IceRocket, BlogPulse, Google Blog Search, Findory, etc…)

When you view the raw OPML URL, “Read the feed here” doesn’t appear, it only exists in the outline view…in that case I wish the outline view also would say “See the home page”.

This would save me making 2 types of blogrolls, one that lists feeds, and one that lists homepages, I need the one that lists feeds (Reading List) so people can import the OPML or even subscribe to it, but I also want an outline where people can goto to the native homepage, just like an old school blogroll.

So I’d love to make a Reading List (all nodes in the OPML would be feeds), and in the outline view of this OPML each node would list the feed, with the bonus bit “Read the feed here”…, and a bit I would like included called “See the home page”.

Public OPML

For each OPML it has
- OPML URL
- Outline URL
- OPML Type (sort by blogroll, reading list, etc…)
- Notes if it is searchable and public, and also the created and modified date
- Filter by Type, Author, Description

Apparently there is a new OPML-wiki feature.

Feedback

- In outline view, when it says, “Read the feed here”, I’d like to view the contents just like the KOZOPMLBROWSER (ie. read the feed content within the outline, just like an RSS Reader)

I’d also like to do this with the OPML inclusion items, instead of it launching to another outline in OPML Workstation…I guess this is the difference between an outliner and a reader (I like the idea of staying on the same page and expanding the tree, and not only are you on the same page, but viewing within the same pane).

Although, the benefit of going to a new pages in OPML Workstation is that each page will have its own outline URL, whereas in KOZOPMLMANAGER you never leave the homepage, you just expand the outline tree.

- Place a link on your blog sidebar so it launches to your raw OPML URL, using an OPML button
(this raw OPML URL can be listed under your blogroll as a Reading List).

- Place a link on your blog sidebar so that it launches to your OPML outline, maybe another button
(this outline could actually be your blogroll, but you’d have to view it externally from your blog).

- Even further you can export your outline into your blog sidebar, just like OPML Renderer (but without being a plugin)
(so now your blogroll is within your blog…this is getting better)

Even better, extend this to be like OPod so you can also read the contents of the feed within the box on your sidebar (kind of like what the KOZOPMLBROWSER would do if you could export it to your sidebar)…this is an outliner with RSS reading functionality…if all the items in this OPML URL are feeds, this would making it a Reading List as well.

Imagine doing this with category feeds for your blog, you could see the latest post in each category…when you launch a post from here the excerpt will show at OPML search, not in your blog…see Back up blog via OPML.

Wish

A hosted box on your blog sidebar with the power of OPML

- can be a blogroll (outline)
- read contents of each feed in this blogroll (within the blog and be able to click to the homepage of each blog in the blogroll)
- if the OPML is made of of feeds this is a Reading List
- promote link to the native outline URL
- promote link to the raw OPML URL

You could even have a list or menu to different OPML’s, one for your blogroll, one for your favourite film review links, one for podcast feeds, etc..(remember the items in the OPML can be text, links, feeds, or OPML inclusion)

Or instead of a menu make a massive Root OPML, where all your OPML’s are part of a massive OPML eg. KOZOPMLBROWSER.

TOOLS

OPML Manager (edit/browse)

OPML editor (desktop)
- yet to try

WOW OPML Browser (desktop)
- yet to try

OPML Manager (web based)
- can create OPML inclusions, but outline doesn’t browse OPML inclusions, and it doesn’t read feeds
- it hosts URL’s for your OPML and your outline, but need an new account for every OPML you create…arghh

OPML Workstation
- can create OPML inclusions, outline does browse OPML inclusions on external pages, and it reads feeds at an external engine (OPML Search)
- it hosts URL’s for your OPML and your outline, make as many as you like, also promoted in a public section

Kosso’s OPML Manager (web based, lacks an outline browser)
- can create OPML inclusions, lacks an outline (can’t browse the tree), doesn’t read feeds
- actually there is no hosting at the moment
COMING SOON
- User accounts (I guess this means making as many as you like, and also hosting URL’s for the OPML and the outline)
- Hopefully it will read OPML inclusions and RSS feeds from right there in the outline, just like KOZOPMLBROWSER

OPML Browser

KOZOPMLBROWSER (more an OPML reader…can’t personalise the set of feeds at the moment, maybe Kosso’s OPML Manager, mentioned above will merge this feature)
- is the only browser (hybrid outline) at the moment that can read feeds and OPML inclusions, does this make it a browser/outline/reader

OPML Surfer (browse URL)
OPML Browser (browse URL)
Voidstar OPML Browser (browse URL)
Taskable (sits in your systems tray)
OPML search (more searching than browsing)

Other

OPMLto HTML
RSS to OPML
OPML2RSS
OPML2PDF
Social Bookmarking RSS Feeds - OPML Generator
Share Your OPML
TagCloud via OPML
Gada.be
MonitorThis
KebberFegg
OPML validator
Reading Lists
TailRank - Recommendations via OPML
Outline to blog
OPML for your blog
OPML sidebar for your blog - OPML Renderer
OPML Reader in the blog sidebar - OPod

…see more tools…and here…and maybe here.

[ADDED: When is Rollr coming…from the post:

“As a social tool Rollr will allow you to find and manage OPML files with the ability to slice it in a number of interesting ways.
You will be able to find, roll(meaning group) and tag feeds, to share entire rolls with others and import and export any number of rolls to use in other applications. The practical applications are vast and there are plenty of hooks to integrate it into your work flows. “]

[ADDED 28/02/06: OPML Browser is now called Optimal…it reads RSS feed content, and also opens OPML inclusions within the same page as an outline]