My controversial opinion is that UI designers favored the commercial implementations because of the persuasion of wealth. But, if I'm being rational, I believe Twitter and FB are teaching people what a feed is and how it is useful. Once these ideas are concretely in the minds of most people, the open source community will have an easier time providing solutions that cater to non-technical folk.

Unfortunately, it's actually the opposite.

I'm so old, I actually used to use the RSS feed Facebook provided for their notifications (wall posts) with Google Reader. That's right - there was a point in time when you could consume your Facebook feed via RSS (all in one place, alongside your other feeds), actually provided by Facebook.

The chronology is the other way around. People knew what a feed was and how it was useful, and Facebook worked out how to monopolize it and put their ads into it.

You can still get your Facebook feed via RSS (technically Atom) with a third party app: https://facebook-atom.appspot.com

Also Twitter, Instagram, and Google+:

https://twitter-atom.appspot.com/ https://instagram-atom.appspot.com/ https://plusstreamfeed.appspot.com/

I use these Facebook and Twitter feed converters (via my feed reader: https://unicyclic.com) every day. Thanks Ryan!

I hope they still provide RSS of notifications and public posts. Last time, I checked they used to do that.

I am not on Facebook anymore.

They will only teach how superior their services are. If it was in their hand they will make this technology obsolete, if you have doubt look at what is happening to messaging platform. Masses don't know how to join IRC chat room or what it is. RSS word is not in lay man's vocabulary. For example, Flipboard and Feedly, don't teach any of RSS jargon to lay men.