.: RSS Mania Addiction - An Introduction To RSS and the Terminology
By:Ted Gross
Category:Home / Internet / Technologies / RSS
Not to long ago I finally decided to check out what all those little orange buttons that said “RSS” or “XML” were about. It seemed to me that either my vision was permanently impaired or every web-site I visited suddenly spouted an RSS tag, and that proudly. I wanted to know just what those ubiquitous orange buttons meant and how they operated.
Well, in a few days I was an RSS freak. Obsessed. Totally grounded in RSS mania and those little news items coming across my reader. Of course, I had a reader for my desktop, and a reader that conveniently placed itself within my Firefox Browser. I was RSS ready for anything! And you know what. BEST OF ALL its almost ALL FREE. (If it isn’t it does not find a place on my computer!)
For those among the plebeians of the world who are not familiar with RSS and what you can do with it, this article will attempt to explain the basics in RSS terminology and how you can become as obsessed with RSS as I am. In a future article I will attempt to explain how to create your own RSS feed as well.
RSS Feed – The information that a web site will place within the RSS file for you to read is known as a “feed”. RSS Reader – The software you use, either browser based or desktop based that you use to pick up the feed and read it.
1. RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” or so they tell us. Well so we don’t get too complicated, RSS has gone through a few permutations based upon its versions and maturing.
* Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91)
* RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0)
* Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0.0)
Most RSS feeds today are of the 2.0 permutation. And actually all RSS and its permutations are based upon “push technology” which began to be seriously developed a few years ago.
2. RSS is based on XML (Extensible Markup Language) which is actually become incredibly popular in the development of web pages and the like. (For now we will not enter too many technicalities in programming)
3. PodCasting – is a derivation of RSS where audio is pushed to the computer instead of just text.
4. VodCasting - is a derivation of RSS where video is pushed to the computer instead of just text.
5. There are also PictureCasting, screencasting... and I guess you are getting the picture.
6. Atom Feeds – This basically is a new syndication to replace RSS format. Whether or not it will work is up to the developers and users.
7. Blogs, (a term which originally came from “weblog”) which has been all the rage in the internet lately, make extensive use of RSS feeds, pushing the information contained in the millions of weblogs out to users.
So what is so great about RSS? It simply is a way of those who have content, say a newspaper, where news changes and is updated on an hourly or daily basis, to push this news to users all over the world without them logging into the web site. The user has an “RSS Reader” (many different types are available – future article) and this news is updated automatically in the Reader on a schedule the user chooses. Thus one can be working without the need to constantly check a news web site, and still keep abrest of any news that is happening “out in the big world”.
Readers can handle many RSS feeds together, and it takes just a glance over to determine if something you are interested in comes through.
Why do web sites and companies do this? Because it creates customer loyalty. It is another avenue of being constantly connected with the customers and viewers of their web sites. It is a way to keep the people coming back and back again.
In the next article of this series I will discuss the method by which a feed is created and then pushed out to the Net world at large for others to read it.
Copyright © 2005 Ted W. Gross. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)
Article keywords: RSS, rss feeds, rss description, rss templates, understanding rss, create rss feed, RSS template file, RSS parsing, RSS information, Understanding RSS
Article Source: http://www.articles32.com
Ted W. Gross owns Virgin Earth, a real estate brokerage firm in Jerusalem, Israel. Virgin Earth represents residential and commercial real estate all over Israel. The web site for Virgin Earth is: www.virginisrael.com. Virgin Earth also maintains an RSS Feed on its current properties which can be found on most pages in the web site of Virgin Earth. Virgin Earth also operates an Israel Tourism Portal. Virgin Earth - Israel Tourism & Information Portal on the same site. Ted Gross can be reached at: virginearth@gmail.com Ted Gross is also a published author and maintains a web site for his works. This can be found at: www.virginisrael.com/twg/iw.html
.: New RSS Articles
1). What The Heck Is RSS!
Look no further RSS exposed!
2). How to Profit Easily From RSS Data Feeds
Have you ever wondered if what you know about rss is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on rss.
3). Step by Step RSS Feeds for New Users
New to RSS? Want to take advantage of syndicated content to promote your site? This short guide will get you started.
4). Using RSS To Promote Your Website
Learn how adding an RSS feed to your website can improve traffic and generate income.
5). Tips to Selecting an RSS News Aggregator
Copyright 2006 Sharon Housley
Reading RSS Feeds
While many have resisted the urge to decipher the meaning behind the acronym RSS, the vast majority of technically knowledgeable online surfers have begun incorporating RSS into their daily routines. Why go through the hassle of understanding something new, the novice might want to know? Because it saves time, and time is a precious commodity these days.
6). Tips for Promoting Your RSS Feed
Copyright 2006 Sharon Housley
There is little argument from webmasters and publishers that RSS brings in traffic. So once you've made the leap and created a feed, how do you tell your visitors about the feed?
1. Submit Your RSS Feed to RSS Directories.
This will not only increase the number of sites linking to your website and increasing your link popularity, it will also increase the RSS feeds profile.
7). Cashing In With RSS Feeds
You may already know that RSS stands for Remote Site Syndication, but what does that mean to you and more importantly, how can you use RSS to help you make more money?
Simply put, RSS feeds are written in a computer language called XML, a special mark up language much like HTML. This means that they have mechanisms included that identify structures in a document.
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Really Simple Syndication (RSS) has taken off in a big way. Just as satellite television beams more channels into your home than you can watch, RSS allows to you display an endless amount of other peoples content. Whilst RSS XML feeds are plenty, there's not as much in the way of clear, simple instruction when it comes to making use of those feeds.
If you're one of the webmasters who uses a content management system that makes using RSS XML feeds as simple as specifying a feed URL then you're fortunate in that respect.
2). RSS Feeds for Education Professionals Can Stop Classroom Management Problems and Streamline Your Time
It may be a new year, but you are probably still dealing with the same old "kid problems." The bad attitudes, disrespect, peer conflict, lying, school failure or family problems didn't change when you flipped the page on the calendar. Don't let last year's problems create another difficult year. Resolve to stop using last year's failed solutions, and instead substitute updated, more effective methods like those contained in our books, instant ebooks, workshops and web site.
3). Using RSS Fields In Communication
RSS is fast replacing email marketing and newsletters. You would not want to be left behind would you? Your competitor will surely overtake you and speed right up. RSS is mostly called Really Simple Syndication, although some give other meaning to the acronym. It is a process by which you could place a feed on websites that can read RSS from your directory.
4). RSS... and WHY Its Being Considered The Newest Player In The VIRAL Marketing Game
I have a quick question to ask you... "Are you sick and tired of hearing about RSS(Real Simple Syndication) and how it can take your online business to New levels with VERY little effort on your part?"
If you answered 'YES' to the question above then stop reading this article Right Now!
If you answered 'NO' then your going to love what I'm about to reveal to you about RSS and WHY its being consider the newest player in the VIRAL marketing game.
5). A Guide to RSS Aggregators
One of the most popular features of Internet portals, websites, pages and even emails is a frame that features an organized list of news headlines and periodic updates from other web sources. Really Simple Syndication, formerly “Rich Site Summary” or simply, RSS makes this possible.
6). 5 Reasons Why RSS Will Thrive in 2006
RSS is a technology whose time has come. Five trends driving the demand for RSS include:
1. Spam controls
As users have demanded better spam controls, ezines have lost favor. Many ezines are now scooped up by aggressive antispam measures before hitting users’ inboxes. RSS is already moving in to take the place of ezines. RSS is better suited to keeping site visitors aware of updates anyway: Site articles are best added one at a time.
7). How to Offer your Users an RSS Feed
Everyday more and more people and websites are offering RSS (Really Simple Syndication) news feeds. It is great for businesses and websites- it is free advertising for them when people read their news feed each day, and search engines like websites which offer an RSS feed, as it shows they have interesting, changing content. Here’s how to offer one.