How to offer extended RSS feed to premium users?

Question

I would like to provide extended RSS content (extended with unmoderated comments, for example) to premium users (moderators).

Would it be possible to somehow authenticate readers of feeds other than attaching a personal token string to the RSS URL?

Granted, this way a curious person only needs to steal an RSS link like this (much like one could steal a session id), but a password could be acquired just as easily, right?

How could I make this a bit more secure especially against PEBKAC issues?

Would you consider this an idea worth pursuing or should I just discard it and find some alternative? Could you suggest such an alternative?

Answer 1

You can use http authentication, like this java example. It, and your url idea, are in the open, so https is needed to prevent user/pass/session theft.

You would then also need user and session code, and password recovery code. You could try advertising before doing the work. Create a link, "Click here to pay X dollars for premium rss", and see if anyone uses it. I think there was a stack overflow podcast that mentioned this, anyone remember which one?