RSS

Overview:
Building upon the idea of feeds introduced on the blogging lab, here you will learn about RSS feeds and technologies called readers or aggregators that use these feeds to collect information.



Objectives:

 * 1) To explain what RSS feeds are including how they differ from html coding.
 * 2) To identify the variety of options available for a person to monitor RSS feeds.
 * 3) To understand the utility and the drawbacks of RSS.
 * 4) To demonstrate your ability to subscribe to RSS feeds using a reader of your choice.

The More You Know:
The word RSS is an acronym that stands for Really Simple Syndication (or sometimes referred to as Rich Site Summary). For a nice introduction to RSS, watch this [|Common Craft video on RSS]

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and then you might want to read these brief articles:
 * 7 Things You Should Know About RSS - from Educause
 * [|Tech Teacher: Cut Through the Web Noise] - from Edutopia

Readers or Aggregators:
If the above seems vaguely familiar, it might be because Facebook has adapted RSS into its system. This is how on your FB homepage you see updates from your friends status pages and any fan pages you follow/like. After reading and viewing the resources above, you should have a fairly good idea what RSS feeds are, how to look for them on blogs and web pages, even if you won't remember all the terminology. Now let's turn our attention to some of the options one has for RSS (News) readers or Aggregators. You should note the affordances and constraints of each to better be able to choose the reader that might work best for your personal style.

In contrast to the email and browser options, a web-based reader allows you to manage your feeds and access them from any Internet-connected computer. Like other web 2.0 apps, you establish an account where you can read and manage your subscriptions. Most of these, such as Google Reader also allow you to share favorite rss feeds with others, providing another source for finding interesting blogs in your field. Two popular examples of web readers or aggregators are:
 * Web Readers:**

>>
 * 1) Google Reader>
 * 2) The Common Craft Show's[| Google Reader in Plain English]
 * 3) Newbie's Guide - from Webware
 * 1) Bloglines
 * 2) Teacher Training Videos - Bloglines


 * Mashup Readers:**



In the spirit of one-stop-shopping, mashup readers have become quite popular. Like web-readers, users establish accounts and can access their resources from any Internet-connected computer. In addition, these sites allow for tabbed organization and mashing resources together, such as weather, chat, video, games, etc. Some examples include:
 * 1) iGoogle
 * 2) Mini-product Tour
 * 3) PageFlakes
 * 4) FAQ
 * 5) Netvibes
 * 6) Tour

Other Options you might want to look into if you find none of the above to your liking:
One option that a person might choose is to use an email client to monitor RSS feeds. Three popular tools are Mozilla's Thunderbird, Apple's Mail, and MS's Outlook.
 * Email Readers:**


 * 1) Subscribing to RSS using Thunderbird
 * 2) Apple Mail
 * 3) Subscribing with Outlook 2007

Some of the affordances of using email clients for managing RSS feeds is that it integrates nicely into a common activity for most people. You can check email and your feeds at the same time. A potential drawback, however, is that because these applications run locally, you would not be able to access your feeds from another computer without using a remote desktop.

Most web browsers have now added RSS subscription ability directly within them. Just like with the email clients, integrating a feed reader into the browsers allows people to check their feeds while doing something they already usually do. However, the same constraints apply; the feeds are still only available if the individual is using their computer.
 * Browser Options:**


 * 1) Firefox's Live Bookmarking
 * 2) Internet Explorer 7's Feed Button
 * 3) Safari's Bookmarks

Choices:
As you can see, there is quite a variety of ways to monitor RSS feeds. The key is to find one that you can easily incorporate into your daily regimen. Again, I would recommend beginning with an option from the top two categories but feel free to use whichever is most convenient for you.