RSS Ping combines RSS item metadata with site update information. It enhances the current ping specification, adding information about exactly what has been updated or published, with the notification that something has been updated. RSS Ping reduces the need to revisit or work done by aggregators and search engines when revisiting the publisher site after being pinged, to provide truly real-time updates for information on the Web.
RSS Ping 1.0 adds simple RSS style metadata to the ping, with an optional pointer to a 'payload', an RSS or Atom feed containing only the item or entry being pinged, with more information such as full text. It is simple enough to be used in the context of parameters added to a query string for an HTTP GET request to a ping server.
RSS Ping 2.0 is a draft proposal where the 'payload' xml file (a feed containing the RSS item or Atom entry being pinged, and only containing the item or entry being pinged) is sent directly to the ping service. Because this information may be a structured xml file, it cannot be sent via query string parameters, but may be posted via an HTTP POST or submitted to an RSS Ping XML-RPC (or similar) endpoint. In order to authenticate and guarantee the value of what is being pinged (to eliminate fraudulent or spam content at the point where it is submitted), some authentication mechanisms are suggested.
RSS Ping 2.0 Spec. [draft for comments]
We've created a mailing list to discuss RSS Ping which anyone is welcome to join.