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RSS, or "really simple syndication", is a way for a user to view new content on
any given subject from multiple sites without having to navigate to those sites
with a browser. The RSS-generated content is presented as a series of
headlines, snippets of description text, links to video, images, or in other
forms. RSS allows a user to pick and choose the content that is most
interesting to them at a glance, either in their browser home page, or in an
application that has been downloaded. The content can be explored in full just
by clicking on the links, which are fed directly from the original source. This
is what is called "the feed" or "news feed". All a user has to do to access the
feed is to subscribe to it.
In order to take advantage of RSS feeds, an RSS reader is needed. Otherwise
known as a news reader, the RSS reader is a piece of XML code, or XML-based
software which allows a user to see a visual display of the subscribed feeds.
Readers come in a few basic forms. Some are browser-based. Others are
applications which are downloadable. Some are free, while others require a
nominal fee. Some readers work best on a MAC, others work best in a Windows
environment. Some are entirely cross-platform.
What all news readers do is keep a track of all content as it is updated on the
sites where the feeds originate. Browser-based readers allow a user to view the
feeds from any computer, much like how Hotmail or Yahoo offers personal email
access. Downloaded applications allow a user to store the feed on the computer
that is used most regularly, kind of like how Outlook keeps track of personal
email at home or in the office.
The sources of news readers are numerous, with different versions being updated
all the time. News aggregator directories can be commonly found online for a
list of available news readers, or ones which may be coming out soon. When
choosing a downloaded reader, it is important to choose one which is compatible
with the right operating system.
Once a reader has been selected, the next step for a user to take is deciding
which content they want the reader to serve up. So, when visiting favorite
sites, a user can locate the RSS symbol on the page that has the content
they’re interested in and click on it. The symbol will often be found right
next to the title or main body of the content in the form of an orange button.
Sometimes, the feed will look like a link.
Some browsers will search for feeds on a given web page when it is visited. The
browser will then display the RSS icon to indicate the presence of the feed.
The URL of the feed can then be copied and pasted, or dragged and dropped, into
the RSS reader.
When web masters and site owners wish to provide the latest content which is of
interest to their visitors, RSS is a great way to do it. When doing this
though, it is important to adhere to any formatting requirements outlined by
feed sources. This is particularly true when it comes to giving credit to the
original source of the material. Some sites require this information to
displayed in a specific way on other sites, and may prohibit the use of their
logos or other identifiers as displayed on sites which are not their own. It
always a good idea to double-check the terms of use when displaying feeds.
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