What is an RSS feed?
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" or "RDF Site Summary", depending on who you talk to. RSS feeds are simple pages written in a language called XML (Extensible Markup Language).
RSS feeds are used for distributing, gathering and syndicating content from sources across the Internet. Sources that include websites, blogs, forums, newspapers, magazines, community pages, etc.
RSS Feeds
An RSS feed us a URL (Universal Resource Identifier) or web address that points to a XML page on the site that is publishing the feed. The RSS feed (or XML page) contains tags like title, description, date, images, link...just about anything. Users take this URL and add it to a news aggregator (also called news reader), or add it to a webpage on their website, this process is called subscribing. Most news feeds are free, so don't let the word "subscribe" scare you into thinking you have to pay to subscribe.
How do I know if my favorite sites publish RSS feeds?
While visiting your favorite sites, look for text links or "subscribe" buttons that look like this;
small orange "RSS" logo ---> 
or
small orange "XML"
logo ---> 
Just click on the logo, which will take you to a page full of XML code or if the website offers more then one RSS feed, you'll be taken to a page that will give you a choice of which RSS feeds you would like to subscribe to.
News Aggregators and Readers
News aggregators/readers then take the XML page that you have subscribed to and deliver it to you in the form of a wonderfully laid out page with formatted text, links and pictures much like a webpage. You can subscribe to many different news feeds from your favorite websites at the same time. News feeds update often, some update every 15 minutes, others every 24 hours, depending on the feed you subscribe to. The theory here is that you can open up your news aggregator/reader and get the latest offerings from 10, 20 or even 30 websites without having to physically visiting them all!
News aggregators/readers can be "stand alone" applications that you use on your PC, some readers add the news feed to your email client, others send feeds to your hand-held mobile device, while others take the feed and republish it on your website.
What can RSS do for me?
Why does an RSS news feed from one site or blog add to the user experience of another site? Simple, if you own a website about "healthy living" and want the latest in "surfing products and news" for your users, you can add an RSS feed from KatinSurf.com to your site. Now, your users can learn about the latest products we offer or read forum posts and blog posts related to surfing as a part of healthy living. This "surfing products and news" RSS news feed can show up on your site as just about anything. For example, you could have a page called, "Surfing Products" or "Surfing Forums" or whatever you decide to do with this new information!
RSS has been around for some time now, l33t and savvy users have come to rely on RSS "feeds" as the primary delivery vehicle for keeping up with current events and discovering new information. Newspapers = 1800's, Television = 1900's, were's my aggregator! |
