You probably know about the schism of sorts within the headline-syndication community between RSS (which has endured a variety of irredentist movements itself) and Atom. But if you're like us, you probably find it hard to discern the essence of the debates, especially since the seemingly decisive personal animosity that drives this particular schism, while oft-mentioned, goes largely unexplained throughout blogspace. However, if you want a quick summary of the debate circa mid-2004, eWeek's Sean Gallagher offers up a nice summary...
Gallagher on RSS, Atom, and Standards