For the last few weeks I have been exploring RSS and blogging. Although I have learned a lot, I also feel overwhelmed by the possibilities blogging can offer. So here is my attempt to break it down… what is rss, where is it used and why? Internet is used for email, news, entertainment, etc. It’s a daily tool to find current content. However, RSS has introduced a new way of browsing and receiving that content. RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication,” and can be recognized by the little orange icon. RSS collects web feeds (blog entries, news headlines, etc.) from sites in which you “subscribe.” This is similar to the news feed seen in Facebook. The purpose is to help the viewer eliminate wasting time by periodically checking their favorite websites. Instead the updated content is sent in XML format to whichever aggregator (a.k.a. home/reader) the viewer has chosen (ex: Bloglines, My Yahoo!, Google Reader, NewsGator, etc). After you choose an aggregator (all you need is a free account), then add your favorite sites by “subscribing” to their feed, organize sites within folders and get reading! You can change settings to share with others what you read. There are many ways to use RSS. I have friends who just had a baby and blog to update their family back east. RSS can also be used to receive weather and news updates. It is easy to find more suggested articles within your reader. There is also reason to use RSS if you are a small, growing business. This is an easy and free way to share your company name, increase website traffic and promote your business. This is a great way of obtaining new information and passing it along to others. So quit wasting time and start reading! And please check out this list of other ways to use RSS: feedforall.com.
Other resources:
RSS in Plain English video
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