What
is RSS?
RSS (an acronym for "Rich Site Summary" and later coined
"Really Simple Syndication") is an XML format for distributing
and syndicating web content like news headlines. But it's not just
for news, anything that can be broken down into independent items
can be syndicated via RSS (e.g. frequently updated titles, event lists,
and even product catalogs). Once information of an item is in RSS
format, a RSS-aware program can check, update and display the feed
for you. A RSS service consists of a list of items, each of which
contains a headline, summary, and a hyperlink to a web page. A lot
of web portals and corporate websites provide RSS service, like Yahoo!,
CNet,
CNN,
IBM,
etc.
*Directory of Available
RSS Feeds
For ASE RSS service, the full content, such as a full-text article
or a webcast, can be accessed through the RSS feed URL. |
How
do I use RSS?
A RSS feed can be viewed like bookmarks in Mozilla
Firefox, browsed like email in Thunderbird,
or viewed like headines in news readers including Pluck,
Awasu, FeedDemon,
RssReader,
etc. It enables you to view the service you select all together on
the same interface by automatically retrieving updates, staying current
with new content as soon as it is published.
*List
of News Reader
Whenever you see the 
or  button on a webpage,
it should link to a RSS feed URL that you can subscribe via your news
reader or web browser.
The basic procedure is as follows:
1. Copy the RSS feed URL you want.
2. Paste it into the channel list or address
bar of your news reader. As for Mozilla Firefox, select "New Live Bookmark" and add the URL.
3. Choose to refresh or continue / stop subscribing the feed.
Another way to use RSS feeds is by incorporating content into your web logs (blogs). A blog is an easy-to-use website, where you can quickly post topics, messages, journals, and interact with people, comprised of short articles, frequently updated items, pictures and hyperlinks. Blogging is a publishing tool for journalists, writers, and individuals who want to share thoughts with other people on the Internet. Popular blog service providers include Blogger, Blog.com, LiveJournal, TypePad, Bloglines, etc. |
