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Using and Creating RSS News Feeds
By Stephen Bucaro
There are several ways to keep up with the latest information in your area of interest
on the Web. You can configure a list of websites as "favorites" in your browser. You can
configure a website related to your area of interest as the startup page in your browser.
Or, you can subscribe to any number of email newsletters related to your area of interest.
Now there is something new that can replace or be used along with all of these methods;
the RSS news feed.
RSS is a simple XML file that a publisher places on their website. The data contained in
the file is a list of new articles on the website. Being in a standard XML format makes
the RSS file available for anyone to access and use. Although any website can grab and
display the RSS, the primary consumers are RSS "aggregators".
Note: Different web authors will state that RSS stands for anything from
Really Simple Syndication to Rich Site Summary. RSS uses an XML format called
Resource Description Framework to create a Site Summary.
An RSS aggregator might be a news site, a portal, or an electronic newsletter publisher.
The aggregator gathers RSS data from a group of websites on related subjects and makes
them available as text to their visitors or subscribers. Some aggregator's make RSS data
from websites on many nonrelated subjects available.
Note: This is not copyright infringement because the whole purpose of posting an RSS file
is to have it syndicated.
To keep up with the latest information in your area of interest, just visit an aggregator's
website. For example, at Bloglines you can register
for a free account and then subscribe to RSS feeds like Lockergnome, PC Magazine, Slashdot,
salon, Wired, and hundreds more.
RSS Newsfeed Aggregators
MeerKat
NewsIsFree
Daypop
Syndic8
Directory of Aggregators
Note: There are also many free RSS aggregator applications that you can install on your
PC. These are basically modified web browsers.
Each news feed that you subscribe to will display a list of the titles, descriptions, and
links to new articles posted at the respective website.
If you have a website, you can post an RSS news feed listing the new articles on your
website. It may be picked up by a few RSS aggregators, driving increased traffic to
your website.
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