Description
RSS is an acronym for Rich Site Summary. It is a format for keeping you updated on all the regularly changing web content on many of the pages that interest you. Blogs, news sites, and other types of online sites inform RSS subscribers of updates to their sites. Here's an excellent video from Common Craft to explain what RSS feeds are and why they are beneficial.
Reasons for using RSS
- RSS is a timesaver for people who regularly use the internet.
- RSS lets you stay up to date by collecting the latest information from many of the sites you regularly visit.
- You save time by finding updates in one place.
- It eliminates the need to visit each site to see what's new.
- You read the updates in one place (called an aggregator) which collects news from various websites and provides it to you in a simple form.
Tutorials and Helpful Resources
Here's a brief explanation of Google Reader, one of the easiest RSS aggregators to use.
To sign up for Google Reader, just go to http://reader.google.com/. If you already have a Google account, you can use it, but if you don't, it's not a problem. Just sign up with your own email address, choose a password, and you're ready to go. It's as easy as that! The links below give some good tips for getting started and understanding what Google Reader is all about.
How to use Google Reader step by step
Recommended Reader
Where to find the program
Frequently Askeq Questions (FAQ)
Google Reader Help Group (forum)