What Is An RSS Feed: RSS Basics

posted by ADMIN // August 07, 2009 // What's Next?

As you browse through sites on the Internet, you may have wondered just what is that little orange button asking you to subscribe. Subscribe to what exactly? It may look a bit suspicious and untrustworthy, but that little orange RSS icon is actually a very useful Internet tool for gathering information and keeping updated.

RSS Defined

The term RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” or “Rich Site Summary,” depending on who is defining it. RSS is a tool that allows an Internet user to collect new content from various sites without visiting each site individually. The RSS feed pulls the new content off of these sites and sends it to a central location, where the subscriber can peruse at their leisure.

Not only does this save the user from tediously hopping from site to site, but also saves them the research time of having to sift through material on each site looking for the newest content. A user can jump on the Internet and zip right to their RSS location, getting all the newest material from all their favorite sites in one place without the hassle and lost time of website surfing.

Using RSS Feeds

In order to receive content from hitting those little orange buttons and subscribing, the user must have an RSS feed reader that will accept the content and organize it, providing a central location for all RSS content. There are many free readers that people can use to get their content, the most popular being Google Reader, Bloglines, RSS Bandit, and NewsGator, but these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Signing up for an RSS reader is the first step. Once the feed reader is chosen and established, then the Internet user can start collecting new content by visiting their favorite sites and seeking out the orange RSS subscribe buttons. These buttons are either a one-click subscription method, or they may have a URL that the user needs to copy and paste into their feed reader, depending on the site. Then all the subscriber has to do is go to their feed reader and watch the new material rush in.

Surfer’s Best Friend

The RSS feed’s versatility and efficiency is sure to win over even the most nervous Internet neophyte. Simple to use, yet packed with potential, this technology can bring amazing amounts of information right to your doorstep, from the latest news to the newest product releases to personal updates. The Internet is a vast and fast-paced beast, daunting to the inexperienced, but the RSS feed can ease the path to comfort and become the Internet surfer’s best friend.

Author
Michelle O’Leary

Article Source: Constant Content

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