RSS -- Part Two

In RSS Part One, I discussed how, when a blog gets published with syndication, a machine-readable representation is generated that can be picked up and displayed by Aggregators (also called Newsreaders). These tools scan feeds and automatically inform you when subscribed sites have been updated (just like how an e-mail client lets you know when you have unread messages in your inbox).

Examples of aggregators/newsreaders include:

• Bloglines (web-based)
• FeedDemon (Windows)
• NetNewsWire and Shrook (Mac OS X)

Click here for a list of more aggregators/newsreaders.

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I decided to try out Bloglines, a FREE web-based service that supports both of the standard formats for "syndicated feeds"

1. Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
2. Atom

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Getting Started with

Signing up for Bloglines was simple. Only an email address and password were required. Once registered, it was easy to subscribe to the ITscout blog. I just followed the steps outlined below:

1. click on the My Feeds tab
2. click on the Add command
   (causes Subscribe panel to appear on right)
3. enter the following URL in the field labeled Blog or Feed URL:

http://itscout.blogspot.com/atom.xml

4. click Subscribe button
   (causes Options page to appear on right)
5. on the Options page, click Subscribe button again
   (causes ITscout blog to appear under Feeds on left)
6. click on ITscout blog under Feeds
   (results in entries being displayed and marked as read)

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After setting up Bloglines to track the ITscout Blog, you might consider adding additional feeds to subscribe to. Clicking on the Directory tab will bring up a list of the Most Popular Feeds.