Well, we've got a nice little RSS Feed section here at the Tallon Space Colony, but as of now we have no description as to how to use them for those who don't know. I intend to change that. The following is a basic RSS tutorial to help you learn to use these helpful updaters both from the TSC and from other sources.
1. What is RSS?
RSS, short for "Really Simple Syndication," is a method commonly used to announce updates on a webpage or blog. Some common uses include updates to the site, news items, comics, blog posts, random announcements, and a wide variety of other things. RSS exists in the form of
feeds: small files containing code that allows you to automatically view the updates the author has made.
2. What is an Aggregator?
An
aggregator is a program used to compile multiple RSS feeds. It is an essential aspect of RSS viewing. These programs can exist in many forms, such as executable programs such as RSS Owl, web pages like My Yahoo, and Firefox extensions like Sage. A good list of RSS Aggregators can be found on Wikipedia
here. I personally use FeedReader (and RSS Owl on Linux). Which aggregator you choose is entirely up to personal preference, so it helps to compare them before you decide on one arbitrarily.
3. How do I make my aggregator work?
This is probably the most important and most variable aspect of RSS. Each aggregator has its own method of acquiring feeds, updating them, storing them, and displaying them. A good place to start would be to read any documentation or help files that come with your aggregator or by asking for help on the program's official or unofficial forums, if there are any. In general, though, there is a common procedure that works with most aggregators. The first step involves finding the RSS file on the site, which can be done by searching for the RSS Symbol (you can find a sample on the TSC's RSS page) and clicking on any link related to it (it may be the symbol itself). You should then see a page listing all the recent items of the feed and asking which program you would like to use to "subscribe" to it (if this does not happen, either try a different link or check your browser's RSS settings). From there you can proceed in two ways. You can either select your aggregator from the list at the top and click subscribe, or you can copy the URL. If you copy the URL, you have to open your aggregator and select "New Feed" or something of that nature. Clicking subscribe should do this automatically. When you reach this point, you can paste the URL into the provided box if it isn't already there and click "OK" or whatever the affirmation option is in your program. Once you do this, it should incorporate the feed into your aggregator and display its name somewhere. When you click on the feed's name, you should see a list of its news items. Depending on which aggregator you use, you may be able to view these within the aggregator itself, but in some cases, the program may open them in your web browser. Regardless of how they are displayed, though, you can view any news item in your subscribed feeds by simply clicking on the item's title.
That's pretty much it. I think that covers most of the basics. RSS is a very useful tool, particularly if you like to keep up with things up-to-the-minute and get annoyed having to check each individual website. I hope this tutorial has been helpful.
Labels: computers, program, RSS, tutorials
