One of my favourite asynchronous discussion services, QuickTopic, has just added RSS to its already extremely useful set of functions.

RSS feed generation allows you to follow QuickTopic comments and input from other contributors directly into your RSS reader/aggregator while allowing much greater exposure surface and the option of seeding such threaded content into major RSS search engines and directories for greater visibility.

I have myself started a new discussion thread entitled: "Discussion threads via RSS: what do you think of it?"

Not only I invite you to post your own thoughts there, while realizing how easy and cost-effective this tool can be, but I also suggest you subscribe to the RSS feed available on the page to follow the potentially interesting ideas, comments and contributions directly in your RSS reader.

A word about QuickTopic: Simplicity at first glance.

QuickTopic is a single-topic web forum that's also fully email-enabled. You can start a topic in ten seconds, and participants can use just email to participate, or they can use the web board, or both as the need arises. It's like an instant mailing list with a web-based archive, or it's like an easy web forum that works seamlessly with email.

QuickTopic looks absolutely simple to use at first, and it is. But when you want to do more, you can. For example, if you decide you want more than one topic forum, you can create as many as you want, and use QuickTopic's Shared Topics page to create a public index of topics that you and your group care about.

Key Features

Web-based Discussion – You easily create and manage discussions through a Web-based interface. Participants can easily view discussion threads and add their own comments.

Complete Email Integration – Participants in any QuickTopic discussion get all the advantages of a web forum (e.g. a central place to view the conversation) and a mailing list (e.g. the ability to subscribe and unsubscribe) without ever needing to share their private email to a third party.

Email thread-to-QuickTopic – A normal email discussion can be instantly "upgraded" to a QuickTopic by simply forwarding a group of email messages to a specific QuickTopic email address. Called QuickThreadSM this new service allows a new discussion forum to be created and seeded with all of your discussion email messages, while all the participants are automatically subscribed and notified by email. The conversation can then continue naturally via email, but is captured in the QuickTopic web forum for central reference and archiving.

Email Invitation – Discussion creators can easily invite other participants through email. Participants are notified of a discussion and are invited to participate by linking to a unique URL or replying through email.

Emailing Comments – QuickTopic is distinct from common web forums in that it allows discussion participants to email comments and have them automatically posted in the discussion thread.

Email Notification – Discussion participants can opt to receive email every time a new comment has been posted in a discussion, or receive a daily digest of comments.

Personal and Public Indexes – QuickTopic's My Topics page provides personalized indexes of an individual’s own discussions. Any can also create a Shared Topics page from their My Topics list to provide a public index of selected discussions.

Archive - Download comma-separated-value rendition of the discussion that’s readable by MS Excel.

Upload Pictures (Pro version - USD $ 49/year) – Participants can upload pictures to any QuickTopic.

...and there is even more.

Recommended!