If you have your own web site, or if you are a web designer, this article will be of interest to you. Web sites that are updated on a regular basis, such as news sites or content-driven web sites, can pose a problem for the user. It is cumbersome for the user to have to scan through every page of a web site in order to locate any new information that has been posted.
To solve this dilemma, RSS feeds were created. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. They are coded in XML file format. They contain descriptions of or links to any new information that has recently been posted on the web site. These may be links to articles, or links to certain pages of the web site where new content has been published. These feeds can be used for almost any purpose, such as listing recent company announcements for a company web site, or providing the scores for professional sporting events from the night before (RSS is used on a lot of sport-themed websites in this manner).
It is important to utilize RSS feeds not only to make it easier for the user to find new or updated information, but so that those who connect to the web site with a wireless device will easily be able to navigate through the web site. Web browsers installed on wireless devices are often not compatible with many elements of the HTML programming language. However, all web browsers are compatible with XML, because XML files are simple text files; XML merely defines and lists data, it does not force the browser to display it in a certain way. Thus, RSS Feeds, which are created with XML, can be viewed on any web browser, and can help the user to navigate through the web site, which is sometimes not possible with web sites created only with HTML.
RDF Site Summary was the first version of RSS. It was created by Dan Libby of Netscape in 1999. This version was known as 0.9. Later that same year, Libby combined 0.9 with an XML syndication format created by Dave Winer to create 0.91, which gave birth to the other versions that would follow it, such as 1.0 and 2.0.
One of the advantages of having an RSS feed is that if you have one, you can register it with an aggregator service. Aggregators search through feeds all over the net and display links to content on other sites so that webmasters can select content that is of interest to them and link to it on their website. This is a good way for webmasters to get sites to link to them, which is helpful because link popularity is perhaps the most important factor used to rank web sites on search engines. Also, some search engines will rank sites that have organized RSS feeds higher than sites that do not make use of them.
A feed is extremely simple to create. The syntax is not complicated. There are plenty of online tutorials that can teach you how to create one in only a few minutes. I recommend the World Wide Web Consortium web site (W3C). If you have a web site that contains a lot of content that is updated frequently, using RSS is not an option; it is a necessity.
RSS which stands for really simple syndication is a format that is associated with the XML family of file formatting. It functions by continuously running through the websites to scan for updates. It then sends these updates to all of the people who are subscribed to these websites using a feed. This is used most often in web syndication.
To be able to use an RSS feed, you need to have an aggregator, also known as a feed reader. These aggregators are available widely online, so it won't be that hard to scour the net to find the one that you're looking for. There are a variety of aggregators to choose from. Best of all is that you can download them for free.
RSS feeds are often used in blogs, news, and entertainment websites. Anything that relays information to subscribers, and is often updated. These updates are then sent to all of the subscribers of these sites that carry RRS feeds. The updates are summarized, so you'd have an idea what stories they are referring to. If you are interested in the information it's relaying, you can then click on the text to get the longer version of the text.
The great thing about RSS feeds, is that you can also read them through your cell phones, and they come in PDAs.
Most entertainment websites carry RSS feeds such as BBC, Reuters, Boston Globe, CNN, etc. Music reviews, game news, interviews, movie stories, are also put into RSS feeds. This makes it a lot easier for fans to follow stories about their favorite movie stars, sports heroes, latest gaming news, etc. It is offered to you unadulterated, and free from annoying spam that clutters your emails.
A lot of businesses also use RSS feeds to reach their customers. This allows them to directly relay information, uncorrupted, and instantaneously. As soon as you download an RSS feed, you receive the information right away.
Entertainment RSS is an all in one stop. You don't have to click from website to website to get the news that you're after. Entertainment websites that carry RSS offer you the news that you need, automatically as soon as they're updated. This saves you the time and the trouble of having to scour the net for the information that you're looking for.
It is easy to subscribe to entertainment RSS feed, just click the button that indicates the RSS feed. You usually have to copy the URL into your aggregator, but some RSS feeds automatically download into your reader. You can unsubscribe to an RSS feed anytime.
There are some search engines that allow you to search information contained through RSS feeds. There are also feed directories that categorize RSS feeds by order of interest. This makes it easier for people to locate all of the information contained in RSS on any available topics online.
Local news can also be found via RSS. So now instead of tuning into your TV sets to get the latest headlines, updates, and sporting news, you can subscribe to an RSS feed. This way, you get all of your news at once. This allows you to control the way you receive information, and enables you to receive news at your own free time.
The great thing about this is that readers can read the headlines and summary, and then can choose which stories they want to follow. This gives the reader control over the content of the information they are receiving. This way, they are not bombarded by numerous advertisements and countless useless information that they don't have any use for.
Individuals who have blogs with syndicated content can submit the syndicated versions of their blogs to RSS feed directories. This way, blog enthusiasts can have access to their RSS feeds.
Feedster is one of the most popular search engines. You can use this search engine to find numerous entertainment articles, stories, reviews, using an RSS feed. The great thing about RSS feeds, is that you're always updated with the latest news and happenings.
RSS feeds is revolutionizing the way information consumers get their content. Instead of being bombarded with a plethora of useless information, the consumers now can select & reject the material that goes into their consciousness.
Both Jim Pretin & Soli Kator are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jim Pretin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Insurance, Medicine and Homeopathic Remedies. Jim Pretin is the owner of , a service that helps programmers make email forms.. Jim Pretin's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
Soli Kator has sinced written about articles on various topics from Writing, RSS and Affiliate Programs. Soli. Soli Kator's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.