RSS FAQ
What is RSS?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is a way to distribute frequently updated content like news headlines, update notices, and event listings to a wide number of people at the same time and in the same format. Any Web site may have one or more sets of headlines that can be distributed. Each set is known as an RSS feed.
How Can I Get RSS?
For On-Campus Faculty and Staff of California University of Pennsylvania: The new version of Internet Explorer, version 7.0, has an RSS viewer built into it. Click here for detailed instructions. To get an RSS feed on your computer, you need an RSS viewing program (also known as an aggregator). Current versions of Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox have this functionality built into them. Sites like My Yahoo and Google allow you to add RSS feeds to your portal. Aggregators such as NewsGator and Shrook are stand-alone programs. More information about aggregators can be found on Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggregator) A list of RSS aggregator programs can be found here: http://www.newsonfeeds.com/faq/aggregators .
Why is it Used?
The RSS aggregator automatically displays recent updates to all feeds to which you subscribe, rather than you having to visit each site separately. It stores all the information of interest to you in one place, allowing you to organize it the way you want and to receive the information when you want it.
How Do I Know if a Site Has an RSS feed?
You will see a rectangular icon (usually orange) labeled either RSS or XML. It may have the word Subscribe next to it. You will need to click the button and add the Web address of the page that appears in the list of threads on your RSS viewer. Example Icons: