RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
What is RSS?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is a format for distributing information (news stories, blog entries, item-of-the-day, etc.) over the web. Much like web pages are written in HTML and can be read by your web browser, RSS feeds are written in XML and can be read by any RSS reader. (If you're curious about the technical details, you can find more info here.)
RSS has several big advantages over mailing lists. You can subscribe to RSS feeds without giving away your e-mail address (thus protecting you from spam). You can also read stories in your newsreader without wading through tons of advertisements and graphics that appear on the regular website. If you run your own site, publishing an RSS feed instead of a mailing list means that you won't have to worry about bounced emails, or subscribers accidentally thinking your message is spam and reporting you as a spammer, or overburdening your mail server with delivery of a large mailing list.
Most blogging software will automatically create a RSS feed for your blog.
RSS Readers
Websites:Software:
- NetNewsWire by NewsGator.
- FeedDemon by NewsGator. Both NetNewsWire and FeedDemon can sync with a NewsGator Online account.
- Apple's Safari Web Browser allows you to subscribe to RSS feeds.
- Numerous Firefox add-ons work with Firefox.
- Visit VersionTracker to see more.
RSS by E-Mail
- RSSFwd allows you to subscribe to an RSS feed and forward the messages to your e-mail address.
- NewsGator Inbox works with Microsoft Outlook to deliver feeds to your inbox.
More Info
- Intro to RSS. What is RSS?
- Making an RSS Feed
- RSS: Best Design Practices and Icons, from Smashing Magazine. Includes a brief intro, plus links to a collection of RSS feed icons.
- Feed Icons has several downloadable sets of standard RSS icons.