What is RSS? It stands for Really Simple Syndication, which means it's a simple way to get content out to a lot of people.
RSS allows you to bring information to you, instead of visiting many different web sites to read the latest postings. Check out Common Craft's excellent video called RSS in Plain English.
Key Terms
- Feed: A feed (also called "RSS feed") is
simply the content from a web site, but it is coded in a special way
(using RSS) so that it can be read by a feed reader. - Feed Reader:
A web site or desktop program that "reads" your feeds. These programs
will look at the feeds you subscribe to and check those sites regularly
for new content. The reader pulls the content in, allowing you to see
all the latest information in one place. Feed readers are also known as
aggregators. Google Reader and Bloglines are currently the most popular feed readers, although there are tons of options that we will explore in later posts. - Subscribe:
You need to subscribe to feeds in your feed reader. Kinda like
subscribing to magazines, but free. When you find a site you like, you
can subscribe to its feed and the updates will come to your feed reader
without you having to physically visit the site in your browser. Each
reader has specific instructions for doing this, but once you set up
your feed reader account you can usually click on the RSS icon on any
blog or web page and you'll be automagically subscribed.
Anyone beginning to see the value here? In addition to saving you from
having to visit blogs one at a time and check for new content, there
are also all kinds of cool ways to filter, save and share the posts you
subscribe to.
You can also use RSS feeds to get a taste of what a blog is
like and whether or not it's something that will interest you in the
long run. We've all come across a new blog and read a post or
two that we like. But then what? Do you bookmark it and come back
occasionally to see if you still like it (waste of time)? Do you add it
to your blogroll (and possibly forget about it)? Try adding it to your
feed reader. You'll be able to scan posts over the next few weeks and
easily see if it's a keeper. If not, simply unsubscribe.
There's nothing "techie" or mysterious or complicated about RSS.
Your first step should be to find a feed reader. Just pick one and get
started – it's easy to move your feeds to a new reader should you want
to change in the future (another advantage!). Then visit your favorite
blogs and start subscribing. Soon you'll wonder how you ever got
through your day without RSS.
Shannon blogs at PhatMommy
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I LOVE googlereader – it saves me so much time and helps me stay current with all the blogs I like to read, but would never have the time to actually go and visit each day!! Highly recommend it to anyone who wants a one stop place to read several blogs.
Let me add to this and say that GoogleReader with the BetterGoogleReader firefox extension (can be found at lifehacker.com) is WONDERFUL. Simply wonderful.
I bless the day I found google reader. I simply can't understand anyone who wouldn't use it.
I did this recently and I am so glad! It saves so much time.
I completely agree with the above comments about how great Google Reader is! It is a lifesaver, seriously!
I LOVE subscribing to all of my blogs via RSS on my Netvibes start page. Netvibes is a service similar to iGoogle; it just happens to have more of the widgets I like than iGoogle does. I love being able to open one page and get updated info on my email, weather, calendar, and dozens of different blogs, message boards, and comment threads via RSS!
I do not subscribe to a reader because I enjoy seeing the blog as a human, a person trying to tell a story. I want to enter their home and be surrounded by them. RSS takes the personal feeling out of it for me. I use Safari bookmarks and scroll through who I feel like "talking with" at that moment.