Help my Netvibes get along with my Google Groups

May 11, 2007 1:10 PM

Netvibin': I want to add my Google Groups RSS feed as a Netvibes module. However upon adding a new feed, Netvibes throws its hands in the air and storms away...

I paste the correct feed location (I've tried both Atom 1.0 and RSS 2.0 links from Google Groups) into the New Feed box in Netvibes. While verifying the feed, Netvibes spits out the choice between Atom and RSS, and neither option works after clicked.

Can I download an .opml file (the third option in the New Feed box) of Google Groups to import into Netvibes? Why doesn't Netvibes like Google Groups feeds?

posted by blastrid to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

Throw your feed's URL into Feed Validator and see if it comes out as valid. If NetVibes isn't picking it up, it probably isn't.. and it'll let you see why. Invalid feeds are the bane of the whole RSS industry and can be caused by as little as a single "invalid" character. Die XML die!

One "workaround" (if this is indeed the problem) can be to pipe the feed through FeedBurner then back into whatever wouldn't accept the "broken" feed.

I must admit I'm surprised you're getting a choice between Atom and RSS after you've explicitly copied and pasted an Atom or RSS feed URL though.. if it's a specific feed URL, I've never noticed that happen with NetVibes before.
posted by wackybrit at 2:26 PM on May 11, 2007

Response by poster: Thanks wackybrit.
FeedValidator says it's not valid. The same result shows up with another Google Group, so the problem lies with all of Google's Groups, not just the one...
Lame!
Therefore Feedburner doesn't like the URL either... How can I go after Google to remedy this? Is there a Google Labs Feedback area?
posted by blastrid at 3:15 PM on May 11, 2007