If you read any type of news or blogs online, you need to use RSS because it will save you valuable time and make your life easier.

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.