RSS

Keep current with news and information from your favorite websites by using an RSS feed. RSS — or really simple syndication — notifies you of new content by providing text-only summaries, full pages of content, audio (podcasting), or video.

For example, many newspapers and magazines let you subscribe to one or more RSS feeds to receive summaries or full-text copies of new stories published on the web.

Free tools such as Google Reader or Bloglines make it easy by allowing you to subscribe to, track, and access multiple RSS feeds from a single web page.

Reasons to Use RSS

  • Receive updates from your favorite websites all in one place.
  • Keep up to date with news and announcements in real time.
  • Scan postings and read only what interests you.
  • Store content in folders that you can organize.
  • Subscribe or unsubscribe to feeds at any time.
  • Share the content you receive with others.

Types of RSS Readers

There are two types of RSS readers. One type is web-based, like those mentioned above. The other requires that you download a program to your computer. Some of these downloadable programs are integrated with your e-mail client, and some work as stand-alone applications.

Web-based readers include:

Readers you can download to your computer include:

Because most readers are free, you can experiment and find the one you like best. For larger lists of RSS readers, visit the DMOZ Open Directory Project.

Finding RSS Feeds

When you register with an RSS reader, you may be given a list of suggested feeds to which you can subscribe.
Although many websites have a feed, not all of them do. To find out if a website publishes a feed, and then to subscribe to it, follow these steps:

  1. Open your RSS reader.
  2. Visit the website you wish to subscribe to.
  3. Look for an XML button (or RSS button) somewhere on the website's homepage.
  4. Click on the XML button, and you will see the XML code displayed in your web browser.
  5. Copy the URL displayed in your browser's address bar.
  6. Paste the URL into the subscribe feature of your reader.

The process for subscribing to a feed will vary depending on which reader you are using. Most readers have an add or subscribe link or button, which displays a text box where you would paste an RSS URL.

Another way to find out if a website has an RSS feed is to use an RSS finder, such as BlogStreet’s RSS Directory. Type in a website address and see if an RSS URL is available.

An RSS posting usually includes a headline and a summary, but the amount of information and the layout will vary from feed to feed. The image below contains the feed produced by the Corporation for National and Community Service, viewed in Bloglines.

Screen capture of the Bloglines reader

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