RSS feeds are a quick and easy way to read a lot of content without having to load full websites with graphics and other distractions. I have had a lot of people ask me exactly what an RSS Feed is and how to use my RSS feed because they have never used one before. Honestly I just recently started using them myself, so here is a quick guide on what an RSS feed is and how to use one efficiently.

What is an RSS Feed?

An RSS feed stands for Really Simple Syndication. Basically it is just a common format that blogs, forums, news portals, and other content websites can use to distribute their content to their readers without having them visit their website daily. Without a common format, everyone would be creating their own formats and we would end up needing different readers for each feed. RSS feeds make it easier for the reader to get their content and easier for the publisher because they don’t need to create a new format for their feeds.

What is the benefit of using RSS feeds?

Instead of having to visit every single one of your favorite websites that features fresh content regularly, you can subscribe to their RSS feed to be notified only when there is new information. Typically you will be able to click “update all feeds” on your feed reader and it will notify you if there is any new content. From there you can than choose to see the headlines and only read the content you want. Some RSS feeds display the full content, so you don’t even have to visit their website. You could literally subscribe to over 50+ feeds without having to actually visit any websites which typically take a much longer time to load than RSS feeds.

Another benefit with RSS feed readers is that you will be able to modify settings in your reader so that you are able to get the content you want and mange it efficiently. For example, with a feed reader you can track which posts you have already read, subscribe to comments, and even tag some entries with your own categories. Feed readers make the vast information out there on the Internet easy to access and easy to manage too.

How to read an RSS Feed?

The most common way to read an RSS feed is through popular online services such as Googles RSS Reader or Bloglines. You can also use software that you download to your computer that will allow you to read feeds. I am currently using one called GreatNews which offers a lot of features that help me keep my feeds organized. Additionally, popular software already has RSS feed readers built into it through plugins, such as FireFox and Trillian.

How do you subscribe to RSS feeds?

If you notice at the top of BlueJar there is a link with the orange icon next to a link for my Full RSS Feed. This is the standard icon for RSS feeds. You can click on that link and it will take you to a page where you can select which feed reader you want to use to read my RSS feed. Additionally you can copy the RSS feed URL into your RSS feeder of choice. It is really that simple! From than on you can get up to date information from your feeds and only visit the main website if you need to.

Getting the content you want has never been easier, now that RSS feeds are readily available. RSS is so popular that not only blogs feature RSS feeds, but forums, news, videos, photos, mp3’s and even shopping websites offering different feeds for you to subscribe to. Why not subscribe to BlueJar.com Full RSS Feed to give it a try!

If you liked this post, subscribe to my full RSS feed. Learn more about rss feeds with my quick guide. You can subscribe through e-mail too.