Internet users and most of us have certain favorite websites that we frequently visit and sometimes it gets tiresome to always go back and check for updates. Email became an option for getting updates but you still have to open your account to get updates. Well worry no more and make life easier because a technology called RSS will solve your problem.
When you visit your favorite websites have you ever noticed a small square orange icon with three arches and a dot when you visit it? Or those small orange tags with the letters “RSS”?
This technology which uses an extended mark-up language (XML) is called RSS and it stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. RSS became so popular because it is very organize in updating the internet user on their online subscriptions or articles for instance. You can usually locate this icon on websites that are being updated frequently like weblogs, news websites, weather sites and online article subscription websites.
You can get updates from these websites without the hassle since the list gets updated automatically by just subscribing from it. These updates you get are called feeds and you can easily access it without visiting the website of your choice. So now how does this all work?
First you need to have a RSS reader or aggregator to read your feeds. Popular web based readers are My Yahoo and Bloglines while Newsgator provides a downloadable aggregator or reader. All you have to do is right click the icon and copy the link to your aggregators. However due to advancement in technology, RSS readers are now embedded in browsers like Internet Explorer 7, Firefox and Opera. You just have to click and subscribe.
• For Internet Explorer, you click the star icon on the upper left portion of the screen.
• For Firefox you go to Bookmarks and look for Subscribe to this page.
• For Opera users go to main menu and look for Feed to get RSS information
Now that you are subscribed you have to know the types of feed. The first is the partial feed and the second is the full feed. The first one only gives you the headline of a feed while the latter reveals the full article. The challenge in here especially for partial feeds, is to provide catchy and good descriptions for users to open the whole thing.
In order to get you convince in using RSS or subscribing to RSS here are some advantages of this technology that you might want to look at:
1. It gives you an update without the clutter and effort of always visiting the website
2. It saves time since you won’t have to go back and click for the website you are checking. With a lot of websites in your mind, for sure you will forget some but by using RSS and subscribing to it, you won’t miss a thing.
3. It allows you to subscribe into something without getting too much information from as compared to email. You can also easily unsubscribe to it as well if you decide not to get updates anymore.
4. It is free of charge. Nothing can be better than that.
5. It is a great tool for internet marketers who want to keep their clients or users updated about their latest product without bugging them through email and looking like it is a scam. It can also generate internet traffic to a website too.
Everyday technology and internet advances. You will never know what’s next. So we shouldn’t take for granted creations like RSS because you’ll never know how helpful it can be to your needs. It’s just a matter of exploring it and not being scared in trying something that can make internet browsing a lot easier! So go get some feed enjoy!
Getting to know RSS 
