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Using RSS
By Ian Baaske, NSLS
May 1, 2008
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RSS is one of two main formats (Atom is the other) in which web content is syndicated across the Internet. Often you'll hear the two formats referred to in general terms as "feeds" or "news feeds" or "web feeds." You can usually recognize one by the lovely orange icon . It all means essentially the same thing; it's a way for end users to know right away when their favorite sites are updated without having to check each one individually. It also allows for website owners to add dynamic content like pictures and local news from other sites. Website developers can use feeds to create mashups and aggregate multiple sites. The NSLS Reading Room, for example, is powered completely by web feeds.

It's a tremendous time-saver to be able to see at a glance all of the new content on all of the sites you regularly visit without having to trek over to each one. In my view, it's much more desirable than any sort of email notifications, which come willy-nilly and increase exposure to spam and viruses—besides which I get more than enough email already.

Feeds are read by software called aggregators, which come in two flavors: web-based and desktop. The nice thing about web-based aggregators is that you can check them from anywhere (home computer, work computer, friend's computer), but desktop aggregators have their good points, too. Most notably, many of them pop up with a notification on your screen whenever one of the feeds you subscribe to has been updated. All major browsers (IE 7, Firefox, Safari) have built-in feed readers as well, though, personally, I've never found them all that useful.

Of course, a large number of different options are available when it comes to software. Bloglines has been popular for some time. Google Reader is pretty nifty as well. Ajax-based and reminiscent of Gmail and Google Groups, it allows you to easily save and share your favorite items. I've also been impressed by My Yahoo's implementation of this technology for a small number of feeds. Free desktop aggregators worth trying include SharpReader and FeedReader (which is what I use). It's fairly easy to switch all your feeds to a different aggregator (using something called an .opml) if you don't like the first one you choose.

Once you've chosen software, what do you do with a feed that interests you? Clicking on the orange icon just yields the raw XML. (Even though the major browsers now at least format the XML so you can read it.)

Instead, what you need to do is copy the URL of the feed. In Internet Explorer, you can right-click on the link and choose "Copy Shortcut."

Then open your aggregator. Each aggregator calls it something different, but you're looking for the link to "Add a Feed." In SharpReader, it's "File" and then "OpenRssFeed." Paste in your feed...

...and voila--you'll know right away the next time the site is updated.

About the Author

Ian Baaske is a web applications developer at NSLS.

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