The number 1 feature request by far has been for me to add language filters to RSSmeme. Detecting language is no easy feat. I didn’t want to half ass this feature; it needed to be solid and elegant. So I waited, and waited, and waited. And then, yesterday, Google announced their REST Language API! Finally I could add language filters to RSSmeme!
Here’s how it works. I ask Google the language of each story by sending them the title. I accept any answer from Google (even if the reliability is very low). By default RSSmeme does absolutely no language filtering but if you tack on a language parameter like so:
http://www.rssmeme.com/?language=de
RSSmeme will do it’s magic and only give you stories in that language. This doesn’t work for RSS feeds (yet). I haven’t come up with a great UI for this so for now you’ll have to tack the parameter onto the URL yourself.
It is far from perfect but I always believe in releasing early and releasing often. It doesn’t even work for the language of the country that visits RSSmeme the most (China). Python and unicode aren’t exactly best friends and I haven’t worked out all of the kinks yet.
Spread the word! Any feedback (especially UI ideas) would be greatly appreciated.
UPDATE: The UI is done, what do you think?
