RSS FEEDS: the process

1st in a series on RSS FEEDS

RSS is quite common on the Internet; you can see the button everywhere!  It is a process to share information both from the author and users point of view without the user going to the author’s site.  Web feeds is the name used for this type of information sharing.  The Wikipedia article on web feeds has more details on who, what, when, where and why.  We are not going into that type of detail; rather this is the first blog in a series of articles to explain how to use RSS feeds and the tools you use in the process.  In the rest of the series we will discuss the compelling question of why use RSS feed, how you set it up, where you can place it so the author and user can do more than just say they are using RSS feeds.

The icon on the right is the commonly used one for RSS feeds. The Wikipedia definition of RSS (most commonly expanded as Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.

We have the RSS feed link buttons on this blog and throughout our website.  To use an RSS feed you will need a Reader.  Reader, what is a Reader?  A RSS reader is an application used to receive and store the RSS feeds in a centralized location where you can monitor updates from your favorite websites.  The key point here is that you will not get RSS feeds unless you request them.

The RSS Feed process makes it a lot easier for the user to see what is new or updated on a site. Through the process, the user selects the feeds they want to receive and then the website sends the feed information to all the users that request the RSS feed.  The web designer with input from the client starts the process by adding the RSS feed icon and its linked application to the source website.

In the next article of this series, we will discuss “WHY USE” the RSS feed process.