The Firefox icon, if chosen as the standard, is a perfect example of how standards can go wrong. The icon is not clear and can mean a plethora of different things (radio, wireless connection, volume, audio, etc.) which would make more sense than RSS feeds. Good for Apple. They're totally right in not drinking the koolaid.

When I first saw the Firefox Feed Icon, I thought it was a volume control. It's pretty though... and looks much cuter than the blue "R S S" icon on Apple's page. I'm sure they can come up with something nicer... that doesn't look like an audio control.

I associated the FF icon with a broadcast, which in my opinion works well for feeds since that's what they do.

Quick fix: http://www.macspecialist.org/content/articles/lets_hold_hands/

Not Apple endorsed but it works and for someone who uses Safari RSS almost exclusively (me) the icon hasn't made much of a change but it does standardize it a bit. (I use Vienna for other RSS needs)

I also noticed you're from Utica. I'm in Ilion. Found your site from the Digg article on the AJAX zip code example. Good stuff. Although I can't say I'm too much of a fan of ColdFusion.

Anyway, take care.

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Like they say: think different

"DAMN IT APPLE WHY DO YOU HAVE TO INSULT US ALL BY NOT FOLLOWING FIREFOX!?!?!? WHY DOESN'T APPLE LIKE TO SUCK FIRECOCK AS MUCH AS I DO!??"

Actually, I don't think that it has so much to do with being stubborn or "different".... rather, I think it has more to do with the fact that there are only about 45 degrees of rotation and a square backdrop that seperate the "de facto" RSS logo from the Apple AirPort logo, especially before they changed it from orange to blue, which is probably why they changed it. And honestly, devoid of a "copycat" debate, it's arguable that the "de facto" RSS logo was heavily inspired by the original orange AirPort logo. And not because they're Apple and "everyone who sucks copies them", but because, simply, it's a good logo for both technologies. But, because RSS isn't a technology anyone owns, it's pretty important that Apple's AirPort not be confused visually with RSS. One last note, considering no one owns RSS, -- from a brand standpoint, if I had to pick which one gets a more generic logo, my wireless brand or my inclusion of open-RSS in my software packages, I'd have to pick the open, non-brandable technology.

Few companies have to tread as carefully in the brand world to stay successful as Apple. Every move must be precise (not that they have 100%), and every brand and element strikingly unique. Intelligent marketing was what saved their asses a decade ago. I think sweating an ugly RSS logo is almost as much of a waste of time as this response I'm writing.

Not only MS is starting to use the firefox RSS icon, Opera alsu use it in there browser sinds opera 9.0

It's funny how this little orange icon wasn't a "standard" until Microsoft, basically, said so.

For all the bitching and griping the blogosphere does about Microsoft, they sure are quick to roll over and show their bellies whenever Microsoft feigns being a team player.

As far as I'm concerned, RSS is not a brand-able technology. The design of that little orange "icon" is horrendous, and as was previously said... it confuses with the AirPort icon. Not to mention the fact that RSS isn't exactly "broadcasting" at all. Maybe if it were some kind of push technology that might work... but since it's still all HTTP-based, that shit just don't fly.

Of all the RSS icons I've seen, Apple's is the simplest and easiest to understand. What's it for? RSS. It says so right on the icon. Mozilla's "icons for actions, words for links" is too rigid a rule to apply to every browser on earth.

Its now 2009 and I think that it is safe to say that the orange fella still rules!!!