Have you ever read an article, intended to explain RSS in simple terms that, begins well, but soon descends into confusing jargon or information overload? If so, take heart, I was in the same place a few months ago.
Often the best way to understand something, is to use it. RSS is no exception.
So rather than try and create a definitive explanation of RSS, this article will tell you how to use it. I guarantee once you’ve done so, everything will that much clearer.
If a website you visit utilizes RSS, there are a number of ways it will communicate this.
The most common way is to show a little orange button with the letters XML.
Alternatively, you may see words such as "ATOM", "RSS", "Site Feed" or variations on these.
What they have in common is that they will link to a webpage that, in most browsers, looks like gibberish.
It doesn’t matter one way or another, what is important is the address of the web page they link to.
To demonstrate, I will relate how to read a site feed for my website, The Nettle Blog. Don’t confuse RSS with blogs (web logs). They are two separate concepts. The only reason you see them together so often, is that blogs are the perfect website to take advantage of site feeds. More on that later. Here we go…
Click on this link to go the site feed for The Nettle Blog. Ignore the content in the window, just make a note of the URL in the web address bar. It should read: Feeds: Feedburner
Now you’ve got the web address for the site feed, keep it safe somewhere. You’ll need it again in a moment.
The next step is to use an RSS reader to make sense of the site feed. There are lots of these available and if you are a heavy user you would probably want to purchase a nice piece of software.
But to begin with, start with something simple and free. Start with Bloglines.
Go to Blogliness - Register and create a new account.
From the "My Feeds" section of your account you can add new site feeds you want to keep track of.
Select "ADD", enter the URL you copied and hit "Subscribe". You can preview the results, but skip that stage for now. Select "Subscribe" again and the title of the site feed will be transferred to the left-hand window.
Well done. You have now subscribed to your first RSS feed.
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Have you ever read an article, intended to explain RSS in simple terms that, begins well, but soon descends into confusing jargon or information overload? If so, take heart, I was in the same place a few months ago.
Often the best way to understand something, is to use it. RSS is no exception.
So rather than try and create a definitive explanation of RSS, this article will tell you how to use it. I guarantee once you’ve done so, everything will that much clearer.
If a website you visit utilizes RSS, there are a number of ways it will communicate this.
The most common way is to show a little orange button with the letters XML.
Alternatively, you may see words such as "ATOM", "RSS", "Site Feed" or variations on these.
What they have in common is that they will link to a webpage that, in most browsers, looks like gibberish.
It doesn’t matter one way or another, what is important is the address of the web page they link to.
To demonstrate, I will relate how to read a site feed for my website, The Nettle Blog. Don’t confuse RSS with blogs (web logs). They are two separate concepts. The only reason you see them together so often, is that blogs are the perfect website to take advantage of site feeds. More on that later. Here we go…
Click on this link to go the site feed for The Nettle Blog. Ignore the content in the window, just make a note of the URL in the web address bar. It should read: Feeds: Feedburner
Now you’ve got the web address for the site feed, keep it safe somewhere. You’ll need it again in a moment.
The next step is to use an RSS reader to make sense of the site feed. There are lots of these available and if you are a heavy user you would probably want to purchase a nice piece of software.
But to begin with, start with something simple and free. Start with Bloglines.
Go to Blogliness - Register and create a new account.
From the "My Feeds" section of your account you can add new site feeds you want to keep track of.
Select "ADD", enter the URL you copied and hit "Subscribe". You can preview the results, but skip that stage for now. Select "Subscribe" again and the title of the site feed will be transferred to the left-hand window.
Well done. You have now subscribed to your first RSS feed.
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