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Syndication, in simple words, is the process of combining different information to achieve one specific purpose. Web syndication is not really different from this basic definition. Here, different websites are provided with similar material to keep their users informed about the latest additions and current activities. Because it works like a compilation of different news, so it sometimes is referred web feeds.

Web syndication is considered as one of the very best way of promoting a particular site. As you see two sites to be involved in syndication process, so, both of the sites witness certain benefits. It is quite obvious that a transmitting site can promote its name by displaying its contents on other sites. But, syndication is equally beneficial for displaying site as it makes that site much more interesting for people. So, the process helps both the parties in one way or the other and that's why the popularity of this process has never gone down.

How it all started?
This technology of web syndication started with the development of Meta Content Framework or MCF. This framework was developed by Apple Computer's Advanced Technology Group to structure metadata information pertaining to different websites. MCF was later converted into an XML application by the creator, Ramanathan V. Guha, after his arrival in Netscape.

It was the combination of XML and MCF which brought forth another framework called Resource Description Framework or RDF. In RDF, triples were used which were the form of making statements about web resources. Here, it is relevant to mention that a detailed spec for Channel Definition Format was submitted by Microsoft which never got any appreciation because of many reasons. After the failure of CDF, a new technology with the name of Aurora was developed by Netscape.

The introduction of RSS:
After these initial advancements, first web syndication format called RSS or RDF Site Summary was introduced by Netscape. This version was used on My Netscape portal and referred as RSS 0.9. After offering RSS 0.9 in March 1999, RS 0.91 was introduced in July 1999, by Dan Libby.  This new version was more simplified and refined.

After the initial work done on RSS, it was December 2000 when RSS 1.0 was introduced by the RSS-DEV group. This version was also based on RDF, but, it was much more refined and modular as compared to RSS 0.9. After the development of RSS 1.0, there was a sense of urgency in camp of Winer and RSS 2.0 came into being in September 2002. It was surely a breakthrough point in the history of web syndication which was followed by several updated versions.

The emergence of Atom:
Because of the copyrighted name of RSS 2.0, it was not possible to make changes to its format tree. To cover the shortcomings of RSS 2.0, Atom was launched to give freedom to all types of people to work for the extension of the project.

The latest development in web syndication can be seen in the form of Safari 2.0 released by Apple computers with sophisticated RSS Feed capabilities. As a whole, it can easily be said that the history of web syndication is full of ups and downs, but, this technology is surely making a great name for itself.