You stated that "RSS is dead because barely anybody knows about it" is the same as saying "TCP/IP is dead because barely anybody knows about it". This is false. You cannot use the Internet without TCP/IP, be it consciously or not. RSS on the other hand isn't widespread enough to be used by ordinary person without knowing about it.

And even if there are cases where RSS is used in background as TCP/IP is, then it doesn't change the fact it's in background. Average Joe still won't know how to subscribe to blog's RSS feed.

Podcasts are basically the only place where feeds still thrive (alas it's also changing). RSS may not be dead, but unfortunately it's a niche which to average consumer is as good as dead.