What is an RSS feed and how to use it?

If you already use the Internet and often a reading at a particular blog, then you may know what is meant by “RSS”. If you are like me in a few years ago who did not know what “RSS” all about and what we could do with “RSS”? I will try to answer your questions and explain a bit more about how RSS can be used and provide benefits to us. Definition of RSS is an acronym for “Really Simple Syndication”. Some years ago, I started to study the wikipedia.org site to find the meaning of ‘RSS’.

I found the information in the articles of the website is very informative, but I do not want to spend a time to read a long document merely want to know the term ‘RSS’ only. Perhaps you also like me. What we want is the definition, simple tools and some examples of ‘RSS’ that may be relevant to our lives.

So, let me Interpret meaning of ‘RSS’ true with me so we can understand each other. I began to recognize the ‘RSS’, since 2008. I discovered how to use and know the advantages of ‘RSS’ when using the Mozilla Firefox browser, which is an alternative browser to Internet Explorer. (If you are not using Firefox, you can get them here http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/firefox ) Many IT experts have recommended use Firefox because it is more stable and has more security features. You should try it for yourself.

One of the reasons I use Firefox as my primary web browser is to use ‘RSS’ became more easily. When you visit any websites or blogs using the ‘RSS’ system, a tiny ‘RSS’ symbol will appears on the navigation bar in Firefox. When you see the symbol, you can click on the symbol and will show ‘Pop Up Window’ that allow you to bookmark the site. This is an indicator that links to the XML file to that site (file a brief on the content of a website or blogs). So, if you are interested in a reading at the website you found and would like to keep it for further reading, you only need to click to the symbol ‘RSS’ for bookmarks. And if one day you want to read it again, you can open the bookmark any time.

And then new window will appear like below

Another interesting thing about Firefox is that you can read RSS files without requiring additional another software. Data of small size of the link blogs or websites that you bookmark through ‘RSS’ will be stored in your computer via Firefox.

You also can use ‘Google Reader’ service by Google the same function as ‘RSS’ http://www.google.com/reader/things/intro. I also use this online reader (Google Reader) because you can access your bookmark anyway via your email account. Not necessarily on your computer. ‘RSS’ are stored in your Gmail account, so can access your bookmark from any computer with just login on your Gmail account.

If you do not like using Firefox, but you still want to subscribe ‘RSS’ at blog you like, you can subscribe the blog via email notification. Usually, all blogs have a form that allows you to fill in your email to subscribe for latest articles on the blog. So, if there are recent article, you will be notified by the ‘RSS’ system via email.

I hope you can understand completely how RSS system works or at least know the definition of RSS. RSS help me a lot get the latest information I need quickly and as a blogger, it helps me to gather a group of readers who follow at my blog. You can can try out my RSS system on this blog by fill your email on the subscription box below. So, next time when I publish new article, you will be first person notify by your email.