The fact of the matter is--the average user shouldn't have to get used to RSS. It should be something that's just as easy as browsing the Web or doing anything else on the Internet.
They are being fairly careful about it, but they are walking very rapidly toward becoming a portal. They have a lot of other services gunning for them, so they have become most keen about building user loyalty so the users don't have a reason to go someplace else.
There is this natural inclination by big communications giants to want to be the focal point for the user experience, the starting point, the way to search the Web, and not just an instant message or voice communication tool.