So you have a list of websites, maybe in your “favorites”, you visit daily, weekly, or just occasionally. Great. You log on to your computer and visit each one, check if there is anything new to read, read it, then rinse and repeat until you get through all the sites. What if there was a better way? What if there was one place you could go to to read the new articles, blogs, events, etc. on each site? What if you didn’t have to go to each and every site to check if there was something new and only be disappointed when your efforts retrieved no new content?
Good news! There is a better way.
Enter “Really Simple Syndication” better know as RSS and usually represented by a logo similar to those seen below.

When you see any of these logos above, you can click on it to get access to a site’s “RSS feed”. A feed provides a way for an RSS Reader to get access to a feed of information from that site. By plugging that feed into an RSS Reader, your reader will then display all items attached to that feed within the context of the RSS Reader.
So, why should you use RSS?
- The news and articles from your list of sites come straight to your feed reader, a time saver.
- Ability to organize the content you read. I like to think of an RSS Reader as being similar to your email inbox, but instead of messages, you get web content. Similar to email, you can organize the website subscriptions into folders.
- Avoid subscribing to list-serves that clutter up your email.
- Some readers now have the ability to share interesting articles with your friends. If your friends use the same reader as you, they can see articles you recommend.
How do you get an RSS Reader? 
My favorite RSS reader, and the one I use daily is the Google Reader. The nice thing about Google Reader is the ability to view content when you are offline. Additionally, it is free to use, is web-based (no software to install) and integrates with your Gmail log-in (if you have one). Some other good readers include:
How can you provide visitors of your website with RSS feeds?
The best way to provide RSS feeds to your readers is to develop your website using a Content Management System (CMS). I will be writing an article soon with additional information on selecting and setting up a CMS.
If you do not use a CMS or your CMS does not have the RSS feed feature, you are not our in the dark. You will simply have to create your own RSS file and update it every time you add content to your site.
Coming Soon:
- Content Management Systems
- Constructing an RSS file for your website.
- Mashups
- Blogging for your Organisation: What and Where?
Other Resources:
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