What The Heck is RSS ?
RSS (Rich Site Summary) is an easy way to keep up with news, blogs, and other online resources. With an RSS Feed, you can quickly access content from your favorite Web Pages and Blogs from one central location.
Why should you use it?
RSS is becoming more and more popular for frequent web users, but what is so appealing that so many people have taken to using RSS Readers? The internet is growing incredibly fast. New blogs and sites are being added daily. It can become a challenge and time consuming to keep up with the latest news and articles that you enjoy. RSS makes it easy and time efficient by bringing all of your favorite content to one place instead of having to search the web daily.
Using RSS will also help you keep your e-mail inbox clean. Instead of subscribing to various blogs or other web pages, you can simply have all of the articles of interest directed to one easy feed.
For the book lovers out there, you can create a feed that will give you updates on your favorite authors and alerts on new releases all in one place. Now that we have discussed how RSS feeds work let's take a quick look at the Readers themselves.
What is an RSS Reader?
An RSS reader, also known as a News Aggregator, is simply an online news reader that you use to display your RSS feeds. It is the device used to grab the feeds from various sites and then displays them in one convenient location. The reader makes it much easier to scan and read the articles that interest you the most.
When it comes to RSS Readers, there are many options available. Depending on whether you are using desktop, tablet or mobile, you may find that one reader better fits your needs over another. To start with choosing the right Reader, check out this helpful information on a few of the top Reader services.
Which Reader is right for you?
This newer Reader has increased in popularity very quickly. Its basic clean interface makes it easy and enjoyable to use. Also, it provides excellent organizational tools with the ability to customization the feed lists and folders. Another nice feature about this reader is the Digg app for both Android and iPhones.
Feedly is a popular favorite for many. Its usability and the visually appealing interface are two of the many reasons Feedly has grown in popularity. Feedly also provides organization and customization tools to help tailor your Reader to your needs. It also will suggest content that matches your interests.
CommaFeed is the perfect RSS reader for anyone who enjoyed the now non-existent Google Reader, or anyone who would prefer to host an RSS Reader on their server. With CommaFeed, you have the option of using it as a web-based service or open-source project. If you are new to RSS or do not want to take the time to set up CommaFeed, then this reader may not be for you. However, CommaFeed is one of the best Readers out there that gives you the flexibility to create a reader that fits your needs.
This straightforward and clean plugin provides another excellent option for an RSS Reader. Unlike Feedly and DiggReader, it supports OPML (Outline Processor Markup Language) downloads. The Reader is available in multiple languages. Also, it has a unique feature that allows you to highlight certain keywords in your feed for easy navigation. The reader is free up to 100 subscriptions and has a few key features that make it stand out from the rest.
If you’re a social networking guru, then The Old Reader is right for you. With this RSS Reader, you have the ability to follow other users and share content. Although The Old Reader has unique social features, it is not available as a mobile app yet. Overall, this reader has all of the features you'd expect, along with a few extras. This reader is free up to 100 subscriptions and then beyond that only cost $5/month.
Get Started
So now that you have found and downloaded the RSS Reader that is right for you, it is time to add content. You will need to find sites that syndicate content that you will be able to add to your Reader.
Today, most websites will display an icon if they offer an RSS feed (as seen at the top of this article). The icon is often orange and will be called RSS, XML, or ATOM. Once you find the RSS icon, you just click the button and follow the instructions, or copy and paste the link provided in your Reader.
Some internet browsers help make finding and adding an RSS feed to your reader even easier. If your browser is set up to find subscriptions than you will typically see a small orange or blue icon, (depending on your browser), on the right side of your address bar. Just click the button to access that site's RSS Feed.
However, make sure you have your web browser set up to connect with your Reader, as your browser will most likely add the RSS feed to its default setting.
One other method to add feeds to your Reader is to use the search feature in the Reader itself. It will help you to find pages that you want to add, just click to add them to your favorites.
Now comes the fun part. Start adding all of your favorite sites and blogs to you Reader. Make PCI Publications your first subscription to your reader Click Here.
