Stay in touch with this blog via RSS
DJ Francisco on April 15th, 2008
RSS = Real Simple Syndication, or a really easy way to read this blog, without having to visit it every day.
Summary
RSS is part of the family of XML format, developed specifically for all types of websites that update their content frequently. Using an RSS reader you are able to receive website content, News, Blog Entries, and any other information published in an RSS feed without visiting a website. You just launch your RSS reader and if your favorite website or blog has any new articles, the RSS reader will retrieve them and show them to you. The best part is that you can set it to receive news from many websites that cover topics that you are interested in.
Definitions
RSS - Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0).
XML - It’s basically the formatting language that software and websites use to distribute the content to your feed reader.
Syndication - The Process by which a website is able to share information, such as articles, with other websites… Or other people
Description
RSS is nothing more than a simple format that is used to Syndicate content to subscribers of a website or blog. The format allows for the subscribers to receive the content without the need of opening a web browser, such as Firefox or Internet Explorer, using a program designed to read the RSS feeds. However, recently most web browsers have started to support RSS feeds and you are able to read all your feeds from the web browsers RSS option.
Thanks to the aggregators (programs or websites designed to read RSS feeds) you can obtain a summary of all the websites or blogs that you like from the comfort of your very own desktop, email clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc…), or through web applications specifically designed to read an RSS feed. You don’t have to open up your web browser and go to every website or remember all the website addresses.
The most important part of this format is that it is establishing a new chain of values in the sector of content or information technology (IT) and changing the way that information is accessed both from big companies and corporations and from regular website owners. Many companies are experimenting with the format and to develop new ways to use it to deliver information to the consumer or subscriber.
Syndication is not only a phenomenon designed to aid weblogs, although it has helped their popularity. There has always been syndication and the sharing of information through the XML language, this way we can offer a way to reproduce our own content in other websites in an integrated manner. This helps increase the value of the website that publishes the RSS information and establishes the author of the content as a leading authority. For example if someone reads an article online and that person likes the information and feels that his readers might benefit from that information, he will publish a link, a summary of the article, or the entire article in his website by just pointing to the RSS feed of the article.
Confusing and too technical??
It can be confusing so the best way to understand this is to start using it.
The RSS Feed for this Blog is located at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlogginForWeddingVendors
If you click on that link, it will give you a better idea of what the RSS readers see.
If you copy that link and add it to your RSS Reader you will be able to read this blog from your email program.
What are some RSS Readers?
I personally use the RSS feature built into my email application, Thunderbird, but there are many other programs designed specifically reading RSS feeds. I love Thunderbird because I always have it running and if there is a new article or some news that have recently been published, it will notify me with a sound so I can see if the article is of any relevance to me, if so I will read it either at that time or whenever I get a chance.
Since I don’t use any other RSS reader, your best bet is to visit our friend Google.com and search for “rss readers” or “rss aggregators” and select the one you like most.
Happy Bloggin!
