RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is simply another way to read web site content. Instead of going out and looking for information, with RSS, the information you've selected comes right to you, and is updated whenever new content is published, whether or not you've checked it.
RSS publishes information in a standard format, which an "RSS aggregator" or "feed reader" collects.
Instead of going to your favorite web sites and blogs every day (or whenever you get around to it) to see what's new, you can just subscribe to each page's RSS feed. You'll then see a listing summarizing new content using a button on your browser, or going to an RSS-aggregating web site like Feedburner, Bloglines, or your personal iGoogle or My Yahoo page.
You can use RSS to subscribe to just about everything, ranging from weather reports, Google news alerts on specific subjects, to your favorite blogs, and web sites, sport scores, horoscopes, and more.
Why Should You Use RSS?
RSS makes life easier, and allows you to skim lots of information in a short amount of time, and all from a centralized location.
RSS aggregators allow you skim headlines and view new content at a glance – if you want to read more, you can always follow the link to the relevant web site.
You don’t have to remember to check a variety of sources for news and updates – subscribing to a feed means your aggregator is always collecting information, which you can review at your leisure anytime you're connected to the internet.
Unlike subscribing to an e-mail list, when you subscribe to an RSS feed you don't have to provide any personal information; if you no longer want to view the information, you simply unsubscribe to the feed. You can compile feeds and store them by category or relevance in folders, on your toolbar, or in tabs in your feed reader.
How do I use RSS?
Clicking on the RSS icon will let you subscribed to the page's feed – you can subscribe using your web browser's aggregator, or by copying and pasting the URL into whichever aggregator you've decided to use.
The actual process for subscribing varies slightly depending on which reader you're using, but it's usually a simple one-click or copy-and-paste operation.
» Check out this really cool video explaining RSS and XML
