What is RSS?
There are a couple of different ways for you to subscribe to the content on this site. The main one that most readers to prefer to use is our RSS feed. But just what the heck is this new-fangled RSS stuff?
What is RSS and what does it stand for?
RSS is a new-ish technology that is used by millions of web users the world over to keep track of their favourite sites.
Whereas back in the old-school days, you’d save a site to your favourites list and check back every now and again to see what’s new and if there’s anything interesting to check out; nowadays you can subscribe the feed and all the hard work is done for you.
I’m sure you’ll agree that the main problem with simply bookmarking a site is that it’s a pain in the arse to manually check up on each of your favourite sites and they have to explore to find out what new content has been added. Now, if only there was a way for those websites to let you know every time they update with fresh content….
That’s where Really Simple Syndication (RSS) comes in.
Really Simple Syndication
The best way to describe RSS would be to call it a subscription service. Similar to subscribing to a magazine which is sent out to you whenever a new issue is published; RSS delivers recently published articles and posts directly to you.
Even people with limited technical knowledge can subscribe comfortably because it really is like taking candy from a baby! Click subscribe on the website you want to keep track of and you’ll be prompted to choose your ‘Feed Reader’. Let’s look at that next.
How to use RSS
To start your voyage of website subscriptions, you’ll need a feed reader. Personally, I use Google Reader, but I’ve heard good things about Bloglines too.
These readers are much like an e-mail inbox. Whenever a new article is published, it will appear in your reader. Unread items will be marked as bold to show they haven’t yet been read. You can then click the article and read it right inside your feed reader. Some sites may only show you a preview of the article, in which case a link will be provided for you to go to their site and read the rest.
Finding feeds to subscribe to
You can find feeds both on your favourite websites or through your browser (usually an icon in the address bar identifies any feeds on the page you’re currently viewing).
Look out for buttons or banners on your fave sites to suggest they have a feed for you to subscribe to. They come in many shapes and sizes:
Can’t be bothered with RSS subscriptions?
Many sites (myself included) also provide subscription through e-mail which delivers the latest posts into your preferred e-mail address inbox. No fancy RSS readers or new technology – if that kind of thing scares you!
So there you have it. RSS feeds explained in a nutshell. All you need to do now is subscribe to our feed and start your journey to manliness.
