RSS feeds have been around for a little over a decade. The first form of RSS was developed by Netscape for use on the My.Netscape.Com portal. At that time, Netscape Corporation was a leader in computer services and technologies. Several months later, in June 1999, Netscape released RS 0.091, a project lead by Netscape employee, Dan Libby. This was the beginning of the RSS feed revolution.
Today, the over-abundence of information and data that exists on the Internet is overwhelming. Instead of reading 1 or 2 newspapers, today people need to keep up with dozens of websites to get their information-fix. It is vital to have a reliable way to sift through all this techno-noise and never-ending list of online resources and points of interest. Voila! RSS feeds.
An RSS feed is essentially a file that sits on a website much like any other image or webpage you visit on that site. When you subscribe to a feed, you are simply using an RSS "feed reader" to keep track of that feed file online and deliver any changes to you in a readable, human-friendly format. RSS refers to the format of that file.
There are two common types of feed readers available -- those that operate as web-based online feed readers like Google Reader or desktop applications like FeedDemon or Snackr. Though RSS feed readers all vary in functionality and ease-of-use, they have one thing in common: All feed readers "read" an RSS file and display its content for you to view, bookmark, save, share, or discard. Using these services are quite simple and surely save a lot of time from the traditional hunt-and-read method. Feed readers also help you browse large amounts of information quickly, taking what you want while throwing away the rest. They have become an indispensable way to keep up to date on news and information from nearly any site on the Internet.
My favorite feed reader is Google Reader. I have found that the Google feed reader is by far the easiest and most user-friendly reader available. Google Reader also can be shared across almost any platform. You can use it on your home computer, your iPhone or other smartphone, and even your Kindle.
To start using RSS feeds, you only need about 5 minutes and the following things:
- A free Google Reader account ( get one here )
- An Internet connection.
It really IS that easy.
Once you have signed up for Google Reader using the link above, you are ready to start feed reading.
First navigate to a website with an RSS feed. Websites usually make prominent display of their RSS feeds. RSS feeds can be located by the hallmark large, orange RSS icon or through a text like such as "Subscribe via RSS".
Once you have found a feed icon or a text link, click it. Now what do you see? Many times you may be taken to a page that allows you to sign up for their feed with Google Reader just by selecting a "Google Reader" icon or drop-down box.
However, if you see a lot of strange text in what looks like long, run-on sentences, that means you have found a raw feed file. To subscribe to this kind of feed, copy the URL. Then open Google Reader and click "Add a Subscription" on the top left hand of your computer screen. Then paste the URL (the feed file URL you just copied) into the text box. Click "Add".
If your attempt was successful, you will see the feed appear on the right reading panel with the newest items located at the top of the screen.
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