Find and read RSS feeds

If, like us, you need to keep an eye on numerous Web sites then RSS is an extremely useful tool.  Exactly what RSS stands for has become blurred with time (Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary or RDF Site Summary, depending on who you talk to) but the underlying technology is the same.

An RSS feed is nothing more complicated than a structured text document that sits somewhere on a Web server.  Users access it using a piece of software known as a feed reader and everytime the file is updated, the users' feed readers notifies them.  Their feed reader will usually display a title, a brief paragraph describing the content and a link to it.  If the readers is interested in the content all they need to do is to click on the link and they'll be transported to the relevant page on the Web site.

If you are a Web site publisher using a Content Management System (CMS) then most modern CMS's can create feeds automatically but if you're using an older system, or have a bespoke Web site, it is still possible to have an RSS feed.  for further details please see our recent tutorial on adding an RSS feed to your Web site.

Many on-line publishers, Opportunity Wales included, offer RSS feeds.  In our case, ours allow you to keep up to date with changes to our Weblog by subscribing to our feed.

So exactly what do you need in order to subscribe to an RSS feed ?  Feed readers come in many different flavours from programs that install onto your computer to applications that exist on-line allowing you to check your feeds from any computer with a connection to the Internet.

In this weeks tutorial we'll look at the process of installing a feed reader on your computer.  We'll also look at ways of finding feeds to subscribe to.  To get started with the tutorial click here.