Six months to a year ago I felt like RSS was just about to go mainstream. It seemed to be everywhere. While I do think it will become a standard eventually, I still don't hear many non-geeks singing the praises of RSS.
Part of the problem is that it is hard to describe in a way that relates the value. I've tried many times and people don't get it. That's why I was happy to see CNet make a short video (linked on the right) describing how RSS works, how it can save time, and why it's different than web surfing and checking email.