The Hook Up on RSS

If you start your day by checking a variety of news Web sites, you could be saving lots of valuable time by having the information come directly to your computer. Using RSS technology, you can determine what sites you check have new content, when they are updated and easily subscribe or unsubscribe to their news feeds so that you never miss out on new information.

Pretty much anything that can be broken down into discrete items can be syndicated via RSS, including headlines, new product information, links and summaries. Once information about each item is in RSS format, an RSS reader can check the feed for changes and send the changes to your computer.

What Is It?

RSS means Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary, depending on whom you ask. What you need to know is that RSS is an XML format designed for easily sharing Web content. A RSS service (also known as an RSS channel) consists of a list of items, each of which contains a headline, description and a link to a Web page. Once a site has an RSS feed, its content can be easily shared with other sites and be listed in RSS feed directories.

How Do You Use It?

To use RSS, you need a special RSS newsreader or aggregator that will allow you to collect and display RSS service. RSS newsreaders allow you to view the service you select all together in the same place and, by automatically retrieving updates, stay current with new content updates.


There are many different newsreaders available, many for free. Newsreaders are available for every kind of computer platform and operating system. They offer a wide range of features and interfaces. Most are free or inexpensively priced.

There are three basic kinds of feed readers:

Desktop
Desktop newsreaders run in the background of your computer automatically refreshing headlines as news feeds are updated.

Web Based Web-based newsreaders are online services, such as a Web page. Whenever you access the page or login into the service, you'll see fresh feeds.

Plug-in
Plug-in newsreaders expand the functionality of existing applications to allow users to view RSS feeds from within an existing program, such as Web browsers and email clients.

Once you decide which type of RSS reader will work best for you, subscribing to a RSS news feed is easy. Simply:

•  Go to the Web site and look for a button or icon with "RSS" or "XML" on it. These buttons are frequently bright orange.

•  Click on the graphic to get the reader's URL.

•  Save the URL of the file into the reader.

Once you've found a reader you like, you're ready to start enjoying the timesaving benefits of having consistently updated content delivered to your desktop. While not all sites have picked up RSS feeds yet, the trend is definitely growing. With more and more savvy Web users expecting to have important information come to them instead of having to search for it, you can expect RSS feeds to keep popping up all over the Web.