How Can Use RSS
What is RSS? It stands for one of two things –Real Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. RSS is a relatively new application that has become very popular recently. It is a way for anybody to automatically stay informed on any topic that is published on the internet.
Receiving RSS Feeds
An RSS feed is simply a subscription (a free subscription!) to a web site or blog’s updates. If you find a site that interests you, and that writes about a topic you want to stay updated on, you can subscribe to its RSS feed. Of course, the site must make this available, but more and more sites and blogs are offering this.
You can learn to recognize the RSS logo, which indicates that a site is offering to make its feeds available to you. The logo is usually orange, and is simply a dot with two semi-circles or parenthesis. To access RSS you will need a reader or aggregator. You can download several types of readers, or you can use a web based one offered on sites such as Google or Yahoo.
Benefits of RSS
You can think of RSS as a simple and efficient way to receive (or send) information. It’s also a “no commitment” way to stay in touch with a web site without subscribing to a newsletter or other service that might have you receiving lots of unwanted email. It means you can get the site’s information without having to surf over there every day to keep up with updates.
Benefits for Web Site Owners
If you have a web site or blog, allowing visitors to subscribe to your RSS feeds can help you get regular subscribers who might not otherwise return to your site. If you are selling anything, you can include offers or affiliate links in your posts. However, people who subscribe to an RSS feed want useful information, not just ads, so you want to provide real content.
To install an RSS button on your site you will have to upload the software to your server. If you run a Wordpress or web-based blog, or if you use an automated site builder, RSS may already be included with your site.
Although RSS has gotten popular, many people still do not use it. They may have seen the logo many times, or wondered, what is RSS? It’s really a very simple and useful online tool that anyone can use.
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