LinkedIn, the world's largest social network for professionals, said it will discontinue the use of its Network RSS Feed on December 19. It means that RSS users on the LinkedIn network now have less than one week to find other options to keep track of their LinkedIn feeds.

RSS has been the default option for many LinkedIn users who prefer their content in an easy to digest format. However, many companies have been moving away from RSS. The trend may have started when Google Reader was shut down and many users had to look for alternative readers such as Digg Reader and Feedly. 

LinkedIn said it has chosen to drop the service because the company wants to focus on other more pressing needs. Interestingly, this was the same explanation offered by Google when the search engine giant decided to shut down Google Reader.

Another possible reason for LinkedIn's recent announcement could be the availability of its content on the company's main website as well as its mobile apps on both iOS and Android. While the RSS service may be shut down, LinkedIn users still have a number of options to choose from to get their LinkedIn fix. Additionally, the service may not have been very popular, prompting the company to drop it in lieu of other options. The company also stands to gain from keeping its users on its main site. 

While there are still thousands of sites that continue to use RSS feeds, the latest move from LinkedIn could be a huge loss for RSS.

Here's the full email from LinkedIn: 

"Dear [redacted]

At LinkedIn, we strive to provide a simple and efficient experience for members so we continually evaluate how our current products and features are being used.

This sometimes means we remove a feature so we can focus our resources on building the best products.

We'll be retiring the LinkedIn Network RSS Feed on Dec. 19th. All of your LinkedIn updates and content can still be viewed on LinkedIn, or through the LinkedIn mobile app.

Please visit the Help Center for more information about the LinkedIn Network RSS Feed retirement.

Thank you,

LinkedIn"