What Is RSS And How It Works

One of the very first obstacles that a new blogger may find is the huge amount of technical terms being used in blogging or online and understands the meaning behind these terms. RSS which is the abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication is one of the terms that constantly stump new bloggers. When I first get started on blogging, I had a hard time trying to understand what RSS is all about and how I can utilize it properly.

In a nutshell, RSS is a web format which allows web publishers to publish their content for readers to read in a RSS reader also known as a feed reader or aggregator. This allows your readers to read your latest updated content without having to visit your blog or website. The idea behind RSS is to allow a reader to consolidate all his favorite sites in one place without having to visit all the sites one by one. This makes it convenient and efficient for people like me who simply do not have the time to visit sites one by one.

The formatting language behind RSS is XML. XML is the language used by software and websites to distribute the content to an RSS reader. Unless you are into the technical aspects of the internet, there is no reason for you to delve into XML. Just understand that XML is the language that is powering the technology behind RSS.

There are many types of feed reading software and they are mainly classified into 2 main types, web based and desktop base. For desktop based feed reading software, you need to install them into your computer in order to access your feeds and your feeds can only be access from the computer you have install the software on. Which is why more people prefer to go for web based feed reading software such as Google Reader. I have put down a list of web based and desktop based feed reading software below. The list is by no means comprehensive but these are some of the more popular ones around so I figure they will be useful to you at some stage.

Desktop Based Feed Readers
• Awasu
• FeedDemon
• Newzie
• RSS Bandit

Web Based Readers
• BlogLines
• Google Reader

To subscribe to a feed, you simply have to look for the RSS icon. If you cannot see any RSS icon, just look for the word RSS, Atom or Syndicate. It all refers to the same thing which is a RSS feed. RSS is going to be at the forte of online technologies for years to come, so it is important for you to keep abreast of any new developments in RSS technology.