What is RSS?

RSS is an acronym for Really Simple Syndication (or Rich Site Summary), a standard with the specific purpose of delivering updates to web-based content. Webmasters and information providers use RSS to provide new, fresh content, and consumers use RSS to view their favorite content sources. RSS was initially used by news services to provide informal but immediate news updates, and the standard has now evolved into a popular and effective way to distribute all types of timely information.

Why would I care about RSS?

• RSS keeps a virtual eye on your favorite websites by checking them for you!
• RSS can connect you with a whole new world of information sources in a new and dynamic way.
• When a website or news provider that features RSS changes its content in some way, the RSS feed will also be updated - minute by minute, hour by hour, etc.
• It's a quick and easy way to keep up with news, stock picks, business trends, the weather, sports, web comics, and just about any web content that you enjoy.
• The updates will be listed in one place and made available for you to browse at your convenience. This might sound similar to just using your list of Bookmarks, but RSS is much more convenient. Instead of going to each and every site on your Bookmarks list individually to sort through and search for new content, RSS gives you a link directly to the new content you're interested in. From there you can read the new information and still have access to the main site.

How do I use RSS?

In order to use RSS, a computer needs to have a software program that is "RSS aware" - in other words, can recognize and read RSS feeds. Programs that are RSS aware are called aggregators (also known as "readers"), and feeds are the pieces of information that are filtered through the aggregators to be presented in a readable format. Think of listening to the radio: you need the radio (the "aggregator") in order to be able to hear the music (the "feed").

What makes up an RSS file? (Techie stuff - skip if you don't care)

All RSS files have a channel that tells RSS what is being presented. The channel must list the title, the link and a description. The title refers to the service that is being used, such as BBC World News Headlines. The link is the html code that matches up with the service being used (http://news.bbc.co.uk/), and the description is a brief summary of what type of information the site provides. The channel can also list what
language the feed is in, provide detailed copyright information, a publication date and even the webmaster's e-mail address, but nothing other than the title, link and description are required.

How do I find, install and use an aggregator?

Finding:
Anyone interested in using RSS needs to have an aggregator capable of recognizing RSS 2.0 (the most up-to-date version of the RSS format). Most aggregators can be found by doing a Google search for "RSS aggregators" or "RSS readers", and we've compiled a list of aggregator sites for you as well.

Installing:
Installing aggregators is similar to other programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once you have selected the aggregator you want to use, find the link on the website that says (for example) "Download Aggregator Now", click on the link, and follow the instructions as they appear. Most aggregator downloads and programs are user-friendly and provide step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting and a Frequently Asked Questions page.

Using:
How your aggregator and feeds appear depends on which program you choose to work with. Most RSS aggregator sites have a section of their website that allows you to preview the interface. Awasu has a Windows-style interface and looks very similar to an Internet Explorer page; Bloglines is opened in Internet Explorer and has two frames – one on the left for the feeds you have subscribed to, and the main frame on the right to show the content. Take a few minutes to browse through the aggregator preview sites to find the layout and subscription methods that you like the best.

Firefox goodies: Firefox, which is a popular open source, stand-alone browser, has a feature called "live bookmarks". Live bookmarks function as an aggregator and allow users to view their feeds right in new or tabbed windows without having to open another aggregator program. Simply installing Firefox enables the live bookmarks function, so users need only find the feeds they are interested in and click on the feed option to select it. Firefox functions on both Windows and Mac operating systems.

How do I find and choose feeds?

Finding and choosing feeds is usually as easy as knowing what websites you use frequently and checking their sites for the icon, image or link to RSS feeds. Most well-known news agencies (BBC, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, New York Times) will feature prominently placed links to their feeds, or you can do a Google search to quickly locate the main RSS page for the site you're interested in. We've included a list of feed directories, local, "hot" and "cool" feeds below.

Many aggregators have a search feature that allows you to find feeds of interest by subject or type. For example, a search for “comic” in the Bloglines search engine retrieves over 12,000 feeds listed by popularity. If your search pulls up too many feeds, Bloglines also features an advanced search to narrow the results down to a manageable number.

Links to RSS Aggregators - (the RSS"readers")

Awasu
http://www.awasu.com/

Bloglines
http://www.bloglines.com/

NewzCrawler
http://www.newzcrawler.com/

Pluck
http://www.pluck.com/

SharpReader
http://www.sharpreader.net/

Links to Feed Directories - (finding the RSS "content" suppliers)

DayPop
http://www.daypop.com/

Feedster
http://www.feedster.com/

Syndic8
http://www.syndic8.com/

Links to Local News Feeds

Arcade Feed ID: 75026 http://www.topix.net/city/arcade-ny
Albion Feed ID: 74524 http://www.topix.net/city/albion-ny
Batavia Feed ID: 74852 http://www.topix.net/city/batavia-ny
Bergen Feed ID: 75061 http://www.topix.net/city/bergen-ny
Lakeville Feed ID: 74830 http://www.topix.net/city/lakeville-ny
Dansville Feed ID: 74704 http://www.topix.net/city/dansville-ny
Warsaw Feed ID: 77711 http://www.topix.net/city/warsaw-ny

Links to "Hot" Feeds

Business, Education, Politics and More
http://www.rssreader.com/rssfeeds.htm

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/services/rss/

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/services/xml/rss/index.html

RSS in Government
http://rssgov.com

Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/page/0,,0_0813,00.html

Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/rss/index.html

Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/rss

Links to "Cool" Feeds

Daily Show Headlines [page 1]

Dave Barry [page 1]

David Letterman Top 10 List [page 2]

Dictionary.com Word of the Day

Dilbert [page 1]

Get Fuzzy [page 1]

Homestar Runner [page 1]

Onion [page 1]

Reuters: Oddly Enough [page 2]

Slashdot

VH1’s Best Week Ever [page 1]

VH1 Music News/other

If you have any favorites you think we should include in this section, let us know by using our online suggestion box.

More Info & Other Resources

RSS Tutorial
http://www.mnot.net/rss/tutorial/
Covers the benefits and features of RSS and provides a technical overview; some understanding of the Internet is assumed.

RIT Libraries Feeds
http://wally.rit.edu/feeds/
Provides step-by-step instructions on how to choose an aggregator and subscribe to feeds.

RSS at Harvard Law
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
Covers RSS 2.0 specification issues including an overview and history of RSS, sample files, required and optional channel elements and extending RSS. Also provides extensive links to feeds, aggregators, tools and utilities.