RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a quick and easy way for you to
keep up-to-date with what is changing on websites that interest you. You
subscribe using your web browser or a special application called a news
aggregator.
Tell it what websites interest you and if those sites have RSS, the aggregator
regularly checks for new items on them. A summary list is presented either
in a browser window or as a ticker-tape along the bottom of your screen and
you can click on anything which catches your eye to visit the website and
read the full story.
The video on the right here explains in plain English.
The individual websites do not get to know your email address and you keep
up to date without having to surf round all the sites you like every day.
It is like having a team of assistants who know your interests, scan the
news and journals and present you with a one-page summary each day.
Internet Explorer 7, Firefox, Safari and many other browsers have built-in
RSS readers.
Google has an RSS reader which is quick and simple to use. Go to
www.google.com/reader
and you can see an explanation of it. You will need to sign up to a google
account if you do not already have one. That is free of charge. Then go to
the reader, click the Add button and type of paste into it
http://www.ampsvideo.com/rss.xml
If you have a Yahoo account you can add the feed to your "My Page" there.
You get better control of the displays using a specialist "plug-in" or program.
There are aggregators for palm-top computers and internet-enabled cell-phones.
Most aggregators are free. When you download them they offer packages of
"feeds" where they have already included popular websites in different areas
of interest. Most of us take such a package then cut and add to it until
we have what we want.
