What is an RSS feed and why do we need it?

This is a question I get asked regularly, so this short article is meant to help explain the concept and relevance of RSS.

If you own or manage a blog for any purpose, an RSS feed is essential if you intend to keep your readers up to date with your latest posts. There are several ways your readers can subscribe to your blog, but the most common system used is through RSS feeds.

So what is RSS?

Simply put, it stands for ‘Rich Site Summary’ or is often referred to as ‘Really Simple Syndication’. It is a technology used by millions of Internet users around the world to keep track of their favorite websites. Most consider it a form of news feed that you subscribe to.

In the days before RSS, if you wanted to keep track of updated information on a website, you had to “bookmark” the site in your browser and regularly return to the site to check for changes. The problem was that you had to do all the work yourself. If you were crawling numerous sites, it could get complicated quickly. It was easy to miss something critical or get caught up in an endless cycle of reviewing the same information over and over again.

RSS Save the day!

What we needed was a technology that would simply inform us every time a site was updated. In practical terms, this is what RSS does. It provides a method to receive relevant and updated information quickly after it is published.

In a way, it’s like subscribing to a regularly delivered magazine, but instead of going to your inbox, it goes straight to your RSS reader every time your favorite sites are updated. Even the most technically-challenged web user can easily become familiar with RSS and take full advantage of the technology.

How do I use RSS?

First of all, get yourself an RSS feed reader!

There are many free options available with a mix of useful (and useless) features. An easy starting point is Google Reader or Bloglines. Personally, I still find Google Reader more than adequate, but a simple search will provide a host of alternative options.

I find that readers work a bit like email. Unread feeds will appear in bold in a sort of inbox-style list. Click on a particular feed and it will provide you with the latest information and usually an option to visit the actual site. When you’re done, just move on to the next source.

The best way to learn how to use your new feed is to subscribe to a few feeds and give it a try. The help sections provided will guide you through the process if you get stuck.

There are two ways to locate an RSS feed. First you will be on the site you are visiting and second from your browser. On-site subscriptions usually involve a button or widget and come in many shapes and sizes, so keep an eye out and click to subscribe.

Most web browsers have built-in RSS feeds these days. When you visit a site, you’ll probably notice an RSS feed on the right side of the address bar where the site’s URL is located.

To quickly subscribe all you have to do is click the orange button. Once you do this a few times, you’ll start to see unread items appearing in your Feed Reader and you’re good to go. You can also unsubscribe at any time, so don’t be afraid to select some initial options, as you can always remove them at a later date.

There are no security concerns, your email will be kept private and will not be used for any purpose other than sending your daily updates.

I hope this has helped and that you are now a bit more familiar with RSS technology. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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