An Introduction to RSS
Do you have some favorite web sites that you have to check every day? Wouldn't it be easier if that information came directly to you instead?
That's the idea behind RSS. Whether you translate it as "Really Simple Syndication" or "RDF Site Summary" or "Rich Site Summary," an RSS "feed" can be read by a special program or website.
If you tend to sit at different computers during the day, you'll want to set up an account with an online aggregator. Chris' favorite is the free Bloglines; other free services include Google Reader (which requires a GMail account), NewsIsFree, and Yahoo!'s aggregator service (which requires a Yahoo! account).
News aggregators that you can install include FeedDemon, Feedreader, and NewsGator. If you have a "modern" Internet browser (Firefox 2, Internet Explorer 7, Opera, or Safari (Mac OS X)), you don't even need to install a program!
Once you have a working aggregator, start looking on websites for the RSS button. It's usually orange, and might say "RSS" or "XML" on it. Follow the instructions to copy the RSS feed into your aggregator. Then sit back and let it do the work of checking your websites for you!
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