What is RSS?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format used to deliver information from websites and pages that get updated regularly. An RSS document (which is called feed) contains either a summary or the full content from a website.
RSS is a technology that is being used by millions of web users around the world to keep track of their favorite websites.
The main benefit of RSS is that it enables people to stay connected with their favorite websites without having to visit them. Once you subscribe to a particular RSS feed, you will automatically receive updates from the website that publishes the feed, whenever they release new content.
How do I access RSS?
To properly read the feed, you need an RSS Aggregator (also called Reader). You can find plenty of choices if you go to www.download.com and choose from plenty of RSS Aggregators listed there. Many are free or offer free trial periods. Once you have your RSS aggregator, you need to add a channel. To add a channel, you need to copy the RSS URL from the address bar of your browser, which should show a page full of XML code. Then, go back to RSS Aggregator you have decided to use, choose the category where you want the new subscription to live and URL there. For details, consult with your RSS Aggregator help file. In most cases, the URL you copied should start working instantly.
Online RSS readers
Using a web-based RSS reader allows you to keep up with your online reading, even as you move from computer to computer. Some even offer mobile versions so that you can keep up to date on your phone. There are a variety of different RSS readers available, with different features that you may find useful.
Below are few eb-based RSS readers collected from around the web:
Google Reader
One of the best-known web-based RSS readers, Google Reader has been available since 2005. Because of its age, there are some benefits to using it — not only has Google continued developing it, but there are many user-created plugins that can transform Google Reader, especially if used in Firefox. Google has also made it possible to read Google Reader on a number of platforms, including the Wii.
Bloglines
In addition to making getting feeds into Bloglines easy, the web-based reader offers a variety of ways to share and publish what you read. For instance, if you’re a blogger, you can easily transform the list of blogs in your Bloglines account into a blogroll. Another benefit of Bloglines is that it is a simple matter to import and export subscriptions.
MySyndicaat
As a personal aggregator, MySyndicaat has a few features not widely available. It can add keyword searches from Google or Yahoo to the content you see just as easily as an RSS feed. You can also filter the content you receive to make sure that you get the most relevant content and eliminate duplicates.
NewsIsFree
With a clean interface, NewsIsFree allows you to quickly browse headlines, find sources for breaking news and read feeds. The web-based reader also offers a variety of premium services, ranging from $25 to $75 a year in price. Those services include email and text message alerts for certain kinds of tools, blogging tools and the NewsMap tool which allows for a reduction of information overload.
