Why Firefox? Why?

In the last few years, there has been some pressure to deprecate RSS integration from browser UI and, I believe, some people have expressed wishes to get rid of RSS altogether. I'm not sure where this trend comes from originally, maybe it's the "Big Content" providers, who knows.

Now the prevailing opinion is that ordinary users don't use RSS. Which is partly true. Interface changes like these have resulted in a situation where RSS simply isn't viable for normal users anymore. You can't expect people like my mom to copy URLs into Google Reader and they're sure as hell not going to install any plugins. They needed these buttons as part of the standard browser package.

In the end I believe the demise of RSS will be two-pronged: a lack of stamina in promoting it and active measures to make it unusable. Browser designers aren't the only ones to blame, though. For example, Facebook had very cool and practical RSS feeds during their early growth period. Now they don't anymore. As a large corporation, RSS was simply running counter to their interests.

For me, RSS is an integral part of the open web. I think there should be an initiative to push for RSS again, from the bottom up.

Seriously, I have been wondering for months now why websites no longer display their RSS feeds in the address bar.

Because, in practice, only a small percentage of users use RSS. About 1 in 10. So those users can turn it on.