Yum. All this food talk has me hungry. I could use some 'feed'.
Hmm... Actually I'm not talking about that kind of "feed"...
*blush*
Don't be embarrassed, Little One! We're actually talking about RSS feeds, which (depending on who you ask) stands for "Really Simple Syndication," or "Rich Site Summary," or "RDF Site Summary."
In English please?
†RSS is a process through which you can streamline your online browsing. Let's use you as an example, shall we? Let me ask: do you have any favorite websites?
Absolutely! I'm addicted to Allrecipes.com, CuteOverload.com, Jigzone.com, WebSudoku.com, DavidHasselhoff.com...
Excellent! Imagine if there was a way you could gather all of the new recipes and pictures and puzzles and sudoku and David Hasselhoff updates added to these favourite websites of yours, and view that new content in one central place, at one time, and at your leisure, rather than having to track each of them down on their own individual web pages...
Exactly! And this is the essence of RSS. These gathered updates, or "feeds" as they're called, make it possible for you to keep up with some of your favorite web sites in an automated manner.
Sounds straightforward, too...
But there's more to it than that. RSS feeds by themselves don’t look like much. If you click on an RSS button (
or
), you'll most likely see what computer nuts refer to as 'raw XML code'. Although it technically can be read, it's intended to be interpreted by a computer program (and not by us mere mortals...)RSS feeds are best understood using an RSS 'aggregator', also known as a newsreader or a news aggregator. An aggregator is a computer program that allows us humans to read RSS files. Google Reader is one such program.
Okay, I'm still a little confused. I understand I'm not going to be fed, but what the heck is Google Reader?
Google Reader is a Web 2.0 application that you register for, which in turn will collect new content from the websites you select, displaying that new content for you in one place. Namely, in your account; through their website.
*sing song voice* Still not getting it...
Okay. Let's think of this in practical terms.
For arguments sake, let's pretend you're addicted to the Betty Crocker website, and you're up until all hours of the morning, continuously refreshing the screen to see if the new recipes for the day have been added to the Betty Crocker site.
Wow. You're good. That pretty much describes last Friday night...
*eye roll*
Roll with me on this one, will ya?
Fine...
So RSS saves me time?
Yes! With RSS you can read lots of websites (or feeds) in the same amount of time you used to spend reading one. You're essentially avoiding all the information you've already read or seen, including advertisements, menus, outdated stories, etc.
Okay, be patient with me because I'm still a little confused. What if I'm not addicted to a bunch of websites? What if I can barely keep up with the newspaper and I'm not interested in adding more reading to my plate, let alone online reading? Why would I want to use Google Reader?
No problem. How 'bout we try this:
Let's say you like to keep up to speed on the latest news and events. And let's say, to keep up to speed you'd (ideally) be reading the Globe and Mail, the National Post, Macleans, Canadian Living, etc. This kind of reading can take awhile, right? I mean, that's a lot of content to absorb not to mention wading through stories that don't interest you and annoying advertisements just to get to the stuff you actually want. Following that many publications can be both tiring and frustrating.
You're right. That would be a lot of work. And I'm already juggling a job, kids, a lawn that needs mowing... Although I'd like to stay current with world events, I don't always have the time to read a newspaper, let alone 4 or 5!
To simplify the process, you can sign up for a Google Reader account and subscribe to feeds on (for example) the Globe and Mail, the National Post, Macleans, and Canadian Living websites. Google Reader will do all the work for you:
- Google Reader will scan these web pages for new articles that interest you (articles you haven't read)
- Google Reader will send these articles to your Google Reader account.
I think I've had my "light bulb moment." I get it now!
Great!
Your Task
To complete the assignment:
1. Go to Google Reader.
2. Sign in with your Google account information (the same email and password you use to log into your blog). Read through the welcome page and get yourself oriented with the Reader.
3. When you're ready, click Add a Subscription (pictured):
Keep in mind: Not all websites have RSS feeds. If you don't find what you're looking for the first time around, try again with another site.
5. When you've found a website you think you'll enjoy and want to follow through feeds, click Subscribe (pictured):
And that's it! Now, all of the feeds (or new content added to that website) will come to your Google Reader account. When you're ready to read your feeds--to view the new content added to your account from the websites you've subscribed to--sign into your Google Reader account and enjoy your stories.
7. When you're done with Google Reader, go to your blog and write a new post answering the following questions:
- What RSS feeds have you subscribed to?
- Did you find Google Reader easy to use?
- Will you continue to use the aggregator, Google Reader?
† Research taken from Wikipedia, Fagan Finder, and from YCL TwoPointOh Exploration.
Further Reading:
RSS in Plain English, Common CraftGoogle Reader in Plain English, Common Craft
Keeping Up by Using RSS, Roy Tennant
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