RSS or "Really Simple Syndication" is an automatic electronic delivery tool used by internet publications like websites and blogs to distribute news and other information. When an RSS-enabled website is updated with new content, the new content is then pushed through an RSS feed through an RSS aggregator. Examples of aggregators include My Yahoo, Bloglines, and Newsgator. The major advantage of RSS is the time it saves in surfing the web. As a user, you decide which RSS feeds you want to subscribe to and your news and information are delivered to you through an RSS news reader. Instead of viewing each and every website you are interested in, RSS lets you view all that content in one place – the aggregator.
Most are free and come as either web-based or downloadable applications. Keep in mind that web-based readers allow you to check your subscriptions from anywhere with an internet connection. Here are some of the most common: Web-based: Bloglines – http://bloglines.com Newsgator – http://www.newsgator.com Google Reader – http://www.google.com/reader My Yahoo! – http://my.yahoo.com/ Downloadable: Feedreader – http://www.feedreader.com/ FeedDemon – http://www.feeddemon.com NetNewsWire (for Mac OS X) – http://www.newsgator.com/individuals/netnewswire Firefox Live Bookmarks – http://www.mozilla.com
