What are RSS feeds and how can I use them?

RSS is an acronym for “Really Simple Syndication”.  It allows you to receive updates from websites so you don’t have to constantly browse different sites to look for recent changes.

Example of how they may be used:

Here is an example of how to use an RSS feed.  Say you want to keep track of the latest Top Stories on CNN, and when your friend has a new post on his or her blog.  You simply add the CNN Top Story RSS feed, and your friend’s blog post RSS feed, to something called an RSS reader. Whenever either of them update, your RSS reader will alert you.

How to use an RSS Feed:

To use an RSS feed, you will need something called an RSS reader.  There are a couple of ways to get an RSS reader:

The first would be to go to your favorite search engine and do a search for 'rss reader'.  There are many different types available, some are free while others are not.  It comes down to personal preference in what you want in an RSS reader.  Once you download and install an RSS reader to your computer, simply click the 'XML' button for the RSS feed you want.  If the feed does not automatically import into your RSS reader, simply copy the URL of the RSS feed in its entirety and paste it into your RSS reader.

If you don't want to download and install an RSS reader on your computer, you will notice there are a variety of other buttons aside from the 'XML' button (i.e. the Google button, the AOL button, etc.).  If you have an account with one of these services, all you need to do is click on the appropriate button, log into your account which is affiliated with the button you pressed, and that selected service will act as an RSS reader for you.  So, when you log into that affiliated account, you will see an area that shows all the RSS feeds you selected.