Subscribing to News Feeds

Have you ever seen icons but didn’t know what they were all about?

These point to XML (Extensible Markup Language), or special Web coding for RSS (Really Simple Syndication) that describes a new type of Web information called a “news feed.”

Essentially, these feeds contain a summary and links of any new content on a Web site or blog (or anything else a creator desires to share). A company may publish an RSS feed that contains news of its latest products, for example. When a website has an RSS feed, it is said to be “syndicated.”

How do I Receive RSS Feeds?
The first step is to install an RSS reader (also known as an “RSS aggregator” or “newsreader”). RSS readers are lightweight software programs that allow users to scan dozens, even hundreds, of fresh headlines a day. They are, for the most part, free for the taking.

RSS readers allow you to scroll through cleanly organized headlines and story summaries (an executive summary of the net!) that has little to no graphics and advertising. When you find a story you like, you click it to view it. Not interested? Just keep scrolling without clicking and waiting for a site page to load.

This software may be a standalone program such as Bloglines or integrated into a program that you already use, such as Microsoft Outlook. My Yahoo! even has an RSS module.

The Advantages of Subscribing to Feeds

  • Speed Reading the Internet – You’ll have hundreds of resources at your fingertips. Like many people, you are using the Web as your main source of news and research. If you’re a veteran, you may have hundreds (or maybe more) bookmarks to help you keep track of it all. RSS readers can help you save time because you no longer have to hop from site to site to get your news and information.
  • Automatic Updates – An RSS reader automatically updates itself with the latest items from the sites you tell it to watch, so it’s always fresh. You no longer have to access your favorite sites and constantly click “refresh,” to know what’s been newly published.
  • Minimizes Spam – RSS gives you control over receiving information you want without revealing information about yourself. Unlike subscribing to an e-mail newsletter, you never have to give out your e-mail address with an RSS feed. That avoids the possibility of receiving spam or unwanted junk e-mail from the Web site.
  • Customized to Your Preferences – RSS allows you to receive news and information on the subjects you want. The result is a targeted or personalized news experience, giving you greater ability to tailor your consumption of niche and micro-niche topics. A sports junkie could subscribe to a feed for the Tour de France or a favorite baseball team. A job-hunter could subscribe to a feed for openings in digital media. A medical editor or relative of someone with MS could receive RSS updates published to a health database.
  • Instant Alerts – RSS can serve as an alert service. Instead of using e-mail, you might want to customize your news reader to deliver news on an important subject every 15 minutes.
  • Read Feeds Anywhere – Because RSS feeds contain just links, headlines, or brief synopsis of new information, it means the small amount of Web data can be sent to any XML-compatible device – a cell phone, pager, or handheld computer – without a lengthy download process.

What’s Next?
In the next series of posts will tell how to download some of the popular ones and how to find feeds that may interest you (and how to subscribe to ContentRobot in each). By the end of the week, you’ll be an RSS pro.