What is RSS?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an XML-based file format for sharing and distributing Web content, such as news headlines, blog articles, news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers. With a RSS reader, you can keep track and maintain your favorite content in one centralized location. The use of aggregator's and readers make is simple to keep track of your the content you subscribe too by means of a desktop or a web interface. Viewing and reading data feeds from various news sources, including headlines, summaries and links to full stories can be overwhelming at times so managing your subscriptions is as simple as a click of a mouse. There is always an option available to subscribe and unsubscribe from RSS Feeds if you wish. There are hundreds of available RSS generators to create a feed from and is relatively easy to do even for a novice web user. As RSS files are essentially XML formatted plain text, the RSS file itself is relatively easily read both by automated processes and by humans alike and most RSS Feeds have styling options by making use of a .xsl style sheet applied. If you are an FeedBurner user you even have the options of monetizing your feeds with Google AdSense ads, which ultimately can generate a source of income with a little effort.
How do I access RSS?
News Aggregators (also called Readers) will download and display RSS feeds for you. A number of free and commercial News Aggregators are available for download. Many aggregator's are separate, “stand-alone” programs; other services will let you add RSS feeds to a Web page. Pretty simple actually. Get all the news you can handle without having to visit the website you get your news from. Just subscribe and wait for it to start flowing in by the masses.
Another way many people use RSS feeds is by incorporating content into weblogs, or “blogs” or to a website. Blogs are usually website comprised of pages comprised frequently updated items, web links and useful content for people to ready and become informed on a topic or story of interest. Other forms of blogging is used for publishing traditional journalism, personal journals, group discussions around a topic, and a combination of anything in-between.
