Syndicated Feeds (RSS)

Introduction

Syndicated feeds or RSS (which stands for Really Simple Syndication in some circles) are a way in which to subscribe to a web site or service and be automatically updated when new content is published. I have composed the following post as a basic guide to understanding what syndicated feeds are, why they are important, and how to make use of them.

Overview

For those that want a quick and dirty explanation of syndicated feeds, check out this clever video by CommonCraft:

For more information, continue on with the rest of this post.

What is it?

The symbol you see below represents a syndicated feed which is powered by RSS technology.

To understand and learn more about what RSS is, read the following articles:

1. RSS: Making it Easy to Subscribe by Blogging Pro.
2. A Non-Technical Explanation of RSS by Of Zen and Computing

Why should I care?

There are several reasons why you should care about feed syndication. Consider the following reasons:

1. It is free and widely used by many web sites.
2. It is improving and changing the way in which we communicate and collaborate. You no longer have to remember to bookmark your favorite web sites or manually check to see when new content has been published on them. Once you subscribe to a web site or service, you will be automatically updated when new content is published!
3. It provides a platform in which you can share your thoughts and ideas with the world. Just as you would watch TV, listen to the radio, or read the paper, with RSS you too can broadcast information for others to tune in and listen to.
4. It is a pull versus push technology. What I mean is that you subscribe to a web site or service for information (pull) which gives you the power to choose whether you want the information or not. This is much different than e-mail, instant messaging, etc. where information is pushed on you whether you like it or not.
5. Here are a few other reasons.

How do I use it?

First, start by listening.

You can do this by finding a really good feed reader and subscribing to web sites, services, etc that interest you. There are many RSS readers out there (most of which are free) so find what works best for you.

Second, learn to speak.

Equipped with your favorite RSS reader you are now ready to contribute back. The easiest way is to start writing comments to some of your favorite blogs, wikis, web sites, etc. More often than not, anything you subscribe to will most likely have the ability to allow you to comment and contribute back to the original content.

Another option is to carve out your own space in the world wide web and contribute your own content. There are many free services that will enable you to archive this. For example, here are few:

1. WordPress
2. Blogger
3. TypePad
4. Facebook
5. MySpace

Of course, should you want to host and own your information you can always do it yourself. Like setting up a Ubuntu server with WordPress.

Next Steps

The next steps are to start using this technology to enrich your daily and work life. However, before you charge off, armed with your new found knowledge, consider a few more avenues of information:

• Read a few Blogging Guidelines.
• Understand Personal vs. Corporate Blogging.
• Think about using the various Forms of Communication effectively.
• Learn how to be a professional blogger by seeing what others are doing like Blogging Pro and Pro Blogger.

Now get out there, communicate, and collaborate!

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