RSS Guide: News Feeds & Blogs INTRODUCTION What RSS is a format used for sharing news and other content which is regularly updated. Examples of RSS feeds include news headlines, web page updates, events, channel information (weather, stocks, etc) and blogs. Blogs (web logs) are online journals or discussions with regular postings. RSS stands for Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication, and uses XML (eXtensible Markup Language) formats such as rdf, rss or xml. Why • RSS is relevant because it has become an increasingly popular format for disseminating information. • RSS feeds serve as a valuable current awareness tool, enabling you to keep informed of the latest news and developments in your particular fields of interest. • RSS feeds can save you time and provide a useful means of sifting through the vast quantities of information available on the web, by allowing you to access a range of selected news feeds in one place. How Accessing and viewing RSS feeds • You can find and view RSS feeds by browsing or searching one of the many RSS Directories and Search Engines on the web. • You can use an Aggregator that automatically downloads the latest updates from your selected RSS feeds to your desktop. Sharing content via RSS feeds • You can display RSS feeds on your own website for visitors to read. • You can share your own content by creating an RSS feed for others to access. Check out JCU Library’s Australian & International News Headlines. This is a collection of news feeds selected for their relevance to the JCU community. Visit this site to read the latest headlines, most of which are updated daily, and follow the links to access the full story of any items that interest you. http://www.library.jcu.edu.au/News/Headlines/DIRECTORIES AND SEARCH ENGINES You can find feed and blog sources using an RSS directory, or you can search for headlines and postings on a topic using an RSS search engine. Some sites are both directories and search engines, and also webbaase news aggregators. To obtain the URL of a feed, click on the or button. NewsIsFree – Directory and search engine. Find feed sources by name, browse by category (regional, subject, weblog, etc) or search all sources to find headlines matching your query. http://www.newsisfree.com/Syndic8 -One of the largest directories of RSS feeds and blogs. Search or browse by site name or subject category. http://www.syndic8.com/RootBlog -A subject directory of blogs. http://www.rootblog.com/Feedster – An RSS search engine for finding headlines and postings matching your search terms. http://www.feedster.com/There are also specialised lists, such as the University of Saskatchewan Library's directory of Journals with RSS feeds. http://library.usask.ca/ejournals/Written by Tracey Love for Information and Research Support, within the Information Services program of the Academic Support Division at James Cook University, June 2005. AGGREGATORS AND READERS Because RSS feeds use xml-based formats, special software is required to view them. You can visit a webbaase aggregator, or you can install an RSS aggregator /reader on your desktop. Aggregators allow you to customise a selection of news services that interest you. AmphetaDesk – A popular desktop RSS reader for Windows, MAC OS or Linux. http://www.disobey.com/amphetadesk/MyFeedster – A web-based aggregator. Register to personalise your own feeds and searches. http://www.feedster.com/myfeedster.php RSS Compendium: RSS Readers -A comprehensive list of available RSS readers for various platforms. http://allrss.com/rssreaders.html Some recent browser versions, such as Opera, have built-in RSS aggregators for easy searching, viewing, and archiving of your favourite feeds. http://www.opera.com/products/desktop/DISPLAYING AN RSS FEED ON YOUR OWN WEBSITE The easy way to display one or more RSS feeds on a web page is by including a line of javascript code for each feed. The following websites allow you to enter the URL of an RSS feed, customise how you want it displayed, and then copy the generated code and paste it into your web page. Feedroll – Select a feed or enter the URL, customise, then copy and paste the code. http://www.feedroll.com/rssviewer/RSSxpress Lite – Enter a feed URL or select from the list, and get the script. Includes tips for formatting. http://rssxpress.ukoln.ac.uk/lite/include/?t=1 CREATING YOUR OWN RSS FEED If you have regular news or other content that you wish to syndicate, you can make your own RSS feed. The following sites provide information on how to create an RSS feed, either by copying the code and inserting your own news items, or by completing an online form which generates the code for you. RSS Headliner -Easy step-by-step feed creator. Fill in the online form and copy the code. http://www.webdevtips.com/webdevtips/codegen/rss.shtml MyRSS Create a Channel -Mines the headlines from your page to build a feed. May not be as reliable as creating your own feed and the free version includes advertising for MyRSS. http://myrss.com/new.html Blogger – Free service for creating, publishing and hosting blogs. http://www.blogger.com/Making an RSS Feed – Detailed information about creating RSS feeds. http://searchenginewatch.com/sereport/article.php/2175271 RSS GUIDES ON THE WEB RSS: Your Gateway to News & Blog Content (Search Engine Watch) – An overview and guide to RSS, blogs, RSS directories, aggregators, search engines, and more. http://searchenginewatch.com/sereport/article.php/2175281 Blog – Provides a definition, information, sites and articles on web logs. http://marketingterms.com/dictionary/blog/