What’s an RSS News Feed?

So what is an RSS News Feed anyway?

You might be wondering what those funny looking orange pictures are. They are called newsfeed icons telling you that there is content (blog posts, audio, or video) to which you can subscribe (read, listen or watch) using a program that’s called a Newsfeed Reader(also known as a news aggregator).

So what does that have to do with you? Well, if you’ve ever bookmarked a site so you could go back and visit again later, you already understand the impulse that drives us to “see what is new.” So when you subscribe to a feed, the news will come to you (via your feed reader) rather than you having to check back again (it’s also called push technology).

Better yet, it’s completely automatic. When there is new information your news reader will alert you right away. The news is delivered right to you at the speed of light and you won’t even have to remember to visit the site again either. If you are still a little confused about RSS news feeds then you might want to check out this explanation RSS 101: A Really Simple Guide.

How do I use a News Feed?

There are tons of news feed readers to choose from. You can use one that’s web-based, meaning that you visit the feed reader site on the internet. This can be handy if you need to use more than one computer in different locations or you are always on the go (eg. WIFI devices). Or you can download a free software program to your computer such as GreatNews which the Bloke uses and highly recommends.

All you have to do is open your newsreader program just like your daily newspaper that’s delivered to your door. But the best part about it is you don’t even have to open your door when it’s bad weather outside, and it’s completely free too!

Google has a comprehensive list of newsfeed readers, but if you want to get started right away you can’t go wrong with any of the following Web-based feed readers:

Google Reader

Rojo

Bloglines

Netvibes

My Yahoo!

Google Reader is probably the most popular web-based news reader right now but all of these sites are excellent and it’s just a matter of choosing the one that appeals to you. Once you’re set up with your news feed reader you can click on any RSS icon (like the ones above) and subscribe to that feed. If there is an interim page with instructions (such as the feedburner service which the Bloke uses) it will walk you through the process of subscribing to the feed.

If you’re using a newsfeed reader that isn’t shown, you can still copy the feed address (you will find it in your Web browser’s address bar after you click the feed link) into your feed reader and it will subscribe you.

And here’s the best part — once you’re subscribed, just check your feed reader periodically (some avid readers do it every day) and you will automatically see the newest information from the Bloke.

Oh yes, one more thing. Be sure to look for the little podcast icon. You can click on it to subscribe to the audio version (you can listen to the post if you’re getting tired of reading :).

So what are you waiting for? Choose your flavor of feed and get reading!

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