The Guardian has broken an unspoken protocol and gone and done it. It will be the first major newspaper in the world to offer its content as a full-text RSS feed. Adam Ostrow at Mashable phrases it just so,

“The Guardian, one of the UK’s biggest newspapers, is breaking ranks with its dead tree counterparts and offering up its content in full-text RSS feeds.”

Until now newspapers have only previously opted to supply partial feeds, requiring a click through to the actual website to get the full story. It is a practice that serves the requirement of generating cash from regular streams of online advertising. Deciding to defunct this model appears to be a smart move. The Guardian instantly puts itself ahead of the opposition and opens up the social qualities of a complete RSS feed. These are both looked at in finer detail by Adam in his post.

Traditional media was overdue such a progression and the Guardian's change in practice could potentially see the floodgates open. It feels like a citizen journalism philosophy in the consumption, rather than the production, of content is underway.