Extra! Extra! RSS All About It

You may have noticed that little orange icon at the top of a web page or bottom of an article before, but if your're among the majority, like me, you've probably never subscribed. So just what is RSS anyhow?
The word is actually an acronym that stands for 'Real Simple Syndication' ... No Really. And it really is pretty straightfoward and well, Simple.

Using a built in (via IE7) or standalone reader/aggregator, a subscriber chooses what updates they will receive from various sources throughout the web. If that still sounds a little confusing, think of social network sites ie. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, basically they work the same way. A subscriber/user (you) chooses what information (posts) they will receive from where (family, friends, associates, etc.). Basically, you pick the people whose content you want to read. And that's RSS in a nutshell.

It works like this:

1. Choose a standalone aggregator and install it on your PC. Some of the most popular are below, but there are a plethora of others out there. This RSS feeder will really help save time! Imagine being able to check your favorite peoples blogs, twitters, facebooks and even your favorite news sources in ONE spot. Check these out. I've listed my personal RSS choice.

http://feedreader.com/

http://www.newsgator.com/

http://rssbandit.org/

or my personal favorite: http://www.esobi.com/
2. Whenever you see the icon, click it and it should link to an RSS feed
that you can subscribe to via your RSS client.
The basic process is as follows:

-Copy the URL in the address bar for the RSS feed you want.

-Paste it into the “Add Feed…” or “New Feed…” dialog of the RSS
feed reader of your choice.

-Optionally, choose to refresh or continue/discontinue subscribing
to the feed.

3. It's that simple. All the news from your favorite sites will
collect in your reader for you to read at your leisure.

So what are the benefits?

• Streamlined communication between publishers and readers.
• You get to opt-in or opt-out of whatever things you like to read. If you like what you see, then "subscribe". If you don't like reading someones content anymore, then opt-out!
• Save time by only going to ONE site instead of several. For example: if you visit twitter, several blogs, cnn.com, and a recipe site every day, then obtaining an RSS client (like www.esobi.com) will help you view all those sites at once! I even use my esobi to help me keep up on the newest real estate laws. It helps me to stay on top of my career.
• A supplemental communication method that does not burden the publisher with maintaining lists or following strict privacy guidelines. RSS feeds are compiled according to the user's choices, removing any burden that is placed on publishers of email newsletters. Publishers no longer need to be concerned with spam, privacy policies, and age guidelines.
• Publishers using RSS are able to create keyword-rich content, establishing trust, reputation, and communication with current and prospective customers.

Why am I telling you all about this? Well, at the bottom is an RSS feed, here's your chance to test out your new knowledge and subscribe to my blog!