WHAT IS RSS???

RSS stands for both Rich Site Summary and Really Simple Syndication

but it always refers to the same technology.It is a mean of transmitting and updating news in an automated way.Most news sites (including virtually all blogs) will publish what is called an RSS feed which is regularly updated with the latest available headlines and/or articles.The RSS feed is not human readable. It is an XML format which is designed to be read by machines rather than humans.

To take advantage of an RSS feed you would use a piece of software called an RSS aggregator. Most of them are very similar to email client programs, but instead of incoming emails, they display news from various sources (from all the feeds you have registered with, or "subscribed to" as is commonly said but it has nothing to do with money). Unread news typically appear in bold, just as unread emails do.An RSS aggregator makes it very convenient to follow up on news from a large number of sources in a single place. SharpReader is an example of an RSS Reader.Just like there is webmail, there are also are web-RSS-aggregators. Bloglines is such an online aggregator. Il allows you to track all your news from a single place you can access with a regular web browser.

Also, most modern web browsers will also handle RSS feeds, but in a limited manner. They will use an RSS feed as a dynamic bookmark folder with automatic bookmarks to all the news in the feed. Unlike aggregators, browsers will not save the news if you don't check on them every day.Finally, on a more professional level, some websites will aggregate news from different sources onto a single site. Hence the "syndication" in the name.

RSS feeds are typically used with news sites or blogs, although any website can use them to disseminate information. When an update is sent out, it includes a headline and a small amount of text, either a summary or the lead-in to the larger story. You will need to click a link to read more.

In order to receive RSS feeds, you must have an aggregator, a feed reader. There are a number of aggregators online, many of them free, so with a little bit of searching, you should be able to find an interface that appeals to you. In addition to being available on your computer, RSS feeds can also be read on PDAs and cell phones.When you come across a website you would like to add to your aggregator, you can do so in one of two ways. Most sites that offer an RSS feed have an "RSS" or "XML" button on their homepage that you can click on and it will instantly add that feed to your aggregator. Depending on your aggregator, you may instead need to copy and paste the URL of the feed into the program.

By either method, the feed will be available as soon as you've added it, and your next update could arrive in seconds. If you ever decide that you don't want to receive updates anymore, you simply delete the feed or URL from your aggregator.

Perhaps you already receive information on website updates through some sort of e-mail newsletter. RSS feeds are preferable to newsletter updates because they are instantaneous; you don't have to wait until a designated day of the week to receive your summary. They will also never be held up by a spam filter.

RSS feeds are used daily by people who realize the convenience of up-to-the-minute news and reports and the time they can save reading only those updates that interest them, and they look to become even more popular in the future.