Hot Tips Home
Computer Tips Home
Our Computer Tips Pages:
Computer & Internet Tip Books
How
To Create Back-Ups
Keyword Research
Back-Up Software Myths
Database Corruption
RSS
Feed Basics
Computer Virus Protection
How
To Clean A Printer
Laptop Purchase Tips
Over Clocking Your PC
Internet
Security
Optimizing For Google And Yahoo
Speeding Up Your Computer
Site Map
Our Friends & Partners
Contact Us
About Us
Partner Links:
Canada Fly In Fishing
Millington Seed Company
ACDC Biography
FreebieForest.com
|
|
|
Learning The
Basics Of RSS Feeds
What is RSS? You probably have seen this three-letter
acronym in the course of your internet surfing. RSS stands
for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary;
syndicating means republishing an article that comes from
another source such as a website.
An RSS is a means of publicizing updates about websites. It
may or may not include a summary and photos of the latest
posting. But those that provide summaries (thus Rich Site
Summary) allow users to skim through the article so that
they could decide later on if they want to access the
website source.
The RSS feed usually contains the title of the update
originating from the website. It is also usually the link to
the website source.
What are the benefits of RSS? RSS gives benefits to both
readers (users) and web publishers. |
1. It gives you the latest updates. Whether it is about the
weather, new music, software upgrade, local news, or a new
posting from a rarely-updates site learn about the latest as
soon as it comes out.
2. It saves on surfing time. Since an RSS feed provides a
summary of the related article, it saves the user's time by
helping s/he decide on which items to prioritize when
reading or browsing the net.
3. It gives the power of subscription to the user. Users are
given a free-hand on which websites to subscribe in their
RSS aggregators which they can change at any time they
decide differently.
4. It lessens the clutter in your inbox. Although your email
address will be required to enjoy the services of online RSS
aggregators, RSS does not use your email address to send the
updates.
5. It is spam free. Unlike email subscriptions, RSS does not
make use of your email address to send updates thus your
privacy is kept safe from spam mails.
6. Unsubscribing is hassle-free. Unlike email subscriptions
where the user is asked questions on why s/he is
unsubscribing and then the user would be asked to confirm
unsubscribing, all you have to do is to delete the RSS feed
from your aggregator.
7. It can be used as an advertising or marketing tool. Users
who subscribe or syndicate product websites receive the
latest news on products and services without the website
sending spam mail. This is advantageous to both the web user
and the website owner since advertising becomes targeted;
those who are actually interested in their products are kept
posted.
What are the drawbacks of RSS? The disadvantages of RSS use
are brought about by its being a new technology and some
user-preference concerns.
1. Some users prefer receiving email updates over an RSS
feed.
2. Graphics and photos do not appear in all RSS feeds. For
conciseness and ease of publication, RSS feeds do not
display the photos from the original site in announcing the
update except for some web-based aggregators
3. The identity of the source website can be confusing.
Since RSS feeds do not display the actual URL or name of the
website, it can sometimes get confusing on what feed a user
is actually reading.
4. Publishers cannot determine how many users are subscribed
to their feed and the frequency of their visits. Moreover,
they would not know the reasons why users unsubscribe which
could be important in improving their advertising.
5. RSS feeds create higher traffic and demands on the
server. Most readers still prefer the whole update over a
brief summary of the entry, thus they still access the site.
6. Since it is a new technology, many sites still do not
support RSS.
How do I start using RSS? There are two things needed: an
RSS feed and an RSS aggregator or reader. The RSS feed comes
from an RSS-supported website. There are also websites that
provide a list of RSS feeds of different websites. An RSS
aggregator is used to read the RSS feed from the source
website. It scans and collects data on latest RSS feeds from
the worldwide web.
An aggregator comes in two forms: a downloadable program
also known as desktop aggregator and an online or web-based
aggregator. Downloadable aggregators may require payment
before they can be acquired, while internet-based
aggregators are usually free of charge. All you need to do
is to register an account then you are ready to use their
services. Both versions allow you to customize or choose
which RSS feeds to enter. Paid aggregators are usually
chosen by more experienced users and they usually allow more
freedom in customizing feeds.
1. Choose an RSS aggregator to use. For beginners, web-based
aggregators are recommended since they are usually
user-friendly
2. Scan the homepage of your target website for the RSS or
XML button. It contains the RSS code you need to enter in
the aggregator. Copy this code. Syndic8 provides a directory
of websites that support RSS.
3. Paste the code (which contains the URL of the website) in
your aggregator. There is a space provided for pasting the
code.
After you have done these three easy steps, you can start
reading the RSS feeds coming from the website. New postings
appear as they are published real time at the source
website.
RSS and Internet Marketing
The original idea of RSS came from Netscape, where their
intention is to provide a means for users to customize their
personal homepage to contain links to websites that interest
them, similar to book marking websites.
The application of RSS to internet marketing was an
unforeseen development to RSS technology developers. Since
users are given the freedom to add RSS feeds to their
aggregators, those who are interested in particular products
and services available in the internet can now be notified
real time. Marketing becomes more specific to interested
people and not a hit-and-miss operation.
Those who intend to use RSS for marketing their products and
services should consider linking up with email account
providers, (e.g. Yahoo, MSN, Google mail); networking
websites (e.g. Friendster, Multiply, My Space, Hi5);
websites of newspapers and television network websites (e.g.
New York Times, CNN) for medium to big-scale companies.
Small-time industries can also look into networking websites
as well as personal blog websites (e.g. Blogspot) and
websites of clubs and organizations that would probably make
use of their products or services e.g. a fishing supplies
store can look for the website of their local fishing club
for possible RSS marketing. |
Clearly, RSS is an innovation in information management in
the worldwide web as well as online marketing. We can expect
better RSS technology in the not-so-distant future as its
popularity increases among users and website owners alike.
_________________________________
About The Author:
Written By Rolf Olsen
Copyright (C) 2007 Rolf Olsen, All Rights Reserved. Rolf
Olsen is a web designer and Director/Sales Manager of
http://www.affiliategrand.com. Visit us and Get Top RSS
Recourses.
_________________________________
|
|
|
|
