What Is RSS?

RSS SymbolRSS is a way you can get the most recent headlines and articles from all your favorite Web sites and blogs in one place.  The latest published information is then delivered to your RSS reader.

Advantages

  • You don’t have to visit any Web sites to read the latest news.  All of it is delivered to you.  This is a big time saver.
  • You won’t miss the latest news if you don’t remember to visit a Web site.
  • You won’t see the same information over and over on Web sites or on blogs that don’t update often.

Subscribing

To subscribe to a RSS feed, just click its RSS symbol => RSS Subscription Icon.

  • If you use Internet Explorer to visit a site with a RSS feed, the symbol, located in the toolbar at the top of the screen, will be the color orange, as shown in the image below.

Internet Explorer toolbar with orange RSS symbol

  • If you use Firefox to visit a Web site with a RSS feed, the symbol will appear to the right of the Web site’s address at the top of the screen, as shown below.

Firefox Web-address bar with RSS feed symbol

  • RSS feed symbols are also displayed on Web pages,  usually in a sidebar or at the bottom of a page.

Readers

To subscribe to RSS feeds, you need a RSS reader.  I use Google Reader and FeedDemon.

  • In Web Browsers
    Internet Explorer and Firefox, as well as other Web browsers, have a built-in RSS reader.  Click the RSS symbol in the toolbar to access it.
  • In E-Mail Programs
    Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird also have built-in RSS readers.
  • Online
    Click a link below to subscribe to an online RSS reader.

Notes