Why Use an RSS feed?
Your viewers will thank you, and there will be more of them, because it allows them to see your site without going out of their way to visit.
While this seems bad at first glance, it actually improves your site's visibility; by making it easier for your users to keep up with your site - allowing them to see it the way they want to - it's more likely that they'll know when something that interests them is available on your site.
For example, imagine that your company announces a new product or feature every month or two. Without a feed, your viewers have to remember to come to your site and see if they find anything new - if they have time. If you provide a feed for them, they can point their aggregator or other software at it, and it will give them a link and a description of developments at your site almost as soon as they happen.
MORE on RSS Feeds >>
What is an RSS Feed?
Think about all of the information that you access on the Web on a day-to-day basis; news headlines, search results, "What's New", job vacancies, and so forth. RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication is an easy way for you to keep up with news and information that's important to you. RSS feeds help avoid the conventional methods of browsing or searching for information on websites. The content you want to view can be delivered directly to you without cluttering your email inbox. This content is called a "feed."
RSS is written in the Internet coding language known as XML (eXtensible Markup Language), which is why you see RSS buttons commonly labeled with this icon:  .
The abbreviation is variously used to refer to the following standards:
- Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)
- Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91, RSS 1.0)
- RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0)
- Real-time Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)
What Is an RSS Reader?
An RSS reader is a small software program that collects and displays RSS feeds. It enables you to easily scan headlines for a number of sources in one centralized location, without the bother of logging onto multiple sites.
Where Can I Get an RSS Reader?
Some browsers, such as the current versions of Firefox and Safari have built in RSS readers. If you're using a browser that doesn't currently support RSS, there are a variety of RSS readers available on the web; some are free to download and others are available for purchase. We use RSSReader.com
How Do I Use RSS Feeds?
After you choose an RSS Reader, you can easily add any rss feed. In most cases your "feed reader" works like this:
- Click on the link or small XML button near the feed you want. For example:
 .
- In your web browser's address bar, copy the entire URL (web address). For example, the URL you would copy for the link above would be: http://www.ow10.com/feed.rss
- Paste this URL into the "Add New Channel" section of the reader and save. The RSS feed will start to display the current headlines for you - instantly.
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