RSS 2.0 Funkiness »
If you're using RSS 2.0, matching the spec and being readable are only two aspects of generating your feed. You may also need to worry about making sure your feeds are not funky.
The concept of funky is not an easy one to grasp. In it's basest form, it means using the functions inherent in the spec if at all possible, and not redefining those functions with add-on modules. Dublin Core is perhaps one of the greatest violators of this premise, as it is often used for date and creator functions already present in the RSS 2.0 specification. Why is this so prevalent? Because if you use the default installation of Movable Type, your feed is already funky for this very reason!
In attempting to make sure that your feed is not funky, you should also make sure you are using the correct module. Creative Commons, for instance, is a module with support for both RSS version 1.0 and RSS 2.0. It only makes sense to add Creative Commons licensing information to your feed, since it's already on your blog. The problem is that with two different definitions, you need to make sure you use the right one!
I am not the first, nor will I be the last, I suspect, to attempt to master the art of the funk. Or the un-funk, perhaps. Brad Choate recently made an attempt at an un-funky template for his feed. Others have done the same. I think, after having read much on the subject, that I have managed to create an RSS 2.0 feed that is truly not funky. So says Da Funkidator!
The main work was in making sure I wasn't using any RSS 2.0 non-compliant modules (Creative Commons was one of the culprits). The other thing was to make sure I was using the RSS 2.0 tags, rather than replacing them with something from a module.
If you'd like to use my template, feel free.
Update: It seems that my feed moves between being funky and non-funky. I can only assume this is because of the data contained within the feed itself. More information as I try and figure out what's going on.
