Full Circle Associates

I need help. I'm working on some simple descriptors for RSS and RSS aggregators in the context of technologies for communities of practice. As I've been searching and writing, I realized I know enough to simply be dangerous, not useful.

Can you help?

I'm looking to improve upon the following:

RSS Feeds

Short definition:
RSS (really simple syndication) feeds are XML files generated when specified web content is updated. They contain a list of items that describe the content. RSS is based on an XML file format.

Key Function:
RSS feeds act as a subscription service. They provide an an easy way to distribute a list of web based headlines, update notices, and/or content (often called "feeds") to other websites or tools that aggregate and organize those feeds for reading (RSS aggregators or readers).

Key Features of RSS Feeds:
RSS syndication - the piece of programming on a content website that summarizes changes on that site and make that information available to subscribers. (I think I have this all wrong. It isn't a feature, it is what it IS!)
Usefulness of this feature to communities:
RSS can form the basis of subscription and alert functions for new discussions, wiki and blog posts, static content, calendar items or any updated web content. This is critical for distributed communities as a way to both garner attention towards the community and allow the members to select what they want to pay attention to.

Shared feeds - the ability to aggregate individual feeds into a community feed. (NEED TO FIND TERM FOR THIS).
Usefulness of this feature to communities:
Shared feeds allow a community to collate their individual content into a shared "feed" for either internal and/or external use. This can be important for internal community functions or to provide a "window" in to the collective activity of the community.

Secify feed components - Feeds may be specified to contain a link back to the original site/content, headlines, publisher, date and time or it may contain all the content as well.
Usefulness of this feature to communities:
The publisher can limit a feed to headlines as a way to "force" the reader back to the original site, or provide full feeds for maximum individual flexibility. This allows some discretion about how to weight something towards a community or individual experience.

Feedback? Suggestions? Again, the focus here is RSS in the CONTEXT OF A DISTRIBUTED COMMUNITY - not just RSS in general. TIA!

(My key Source: http://rss.softwaregarden.com/aboutrss.html)