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What is an RSS Aggregator or RSS Reader?
I keep hearing about RSS, XML and RSS feeds. I just barely have a clue what they are, but when people then start talking about RSS aggregators, what are they talking about and why would I want one? Do you use an aggregator, and if so, which one? Ain't jargon fun? RSS is Really Simple Syndication and it's a simple data-only version of a Web page or, in the case of a weblog, Web site. Why is that interesting? Because it's then easy to write programs that track this XML formatted data stream and let you know when there's new material added to the site. For example, if you were tracking the Ask Dave Taylor RSS data stream then when this article "went live" on my site, you'd receive notification and be able to read it within minutes of it arriving. Maybe not so critical for my tech and business Q&A, I admit, but I also track a number of different business newswires and was reading about the Proctor & Gamble acquisition of Gillette at least a day prior to my colleagues. How do I know that? Because they've told me that it was my own article on the subject (P&G buys Gillette for $57 billion, but how much is that in human terms?) that alerted them to the $54 billion transaction). Helpful Hint: If you'd like to track an RSS feed and you have a browser with RSS support, you can click on the cute little XML button you find on many different Web sites. If your browser doesn't know what to do with that and instead shows you a cryptic page of text, you'll need an RSS reader or aggregator. Keep reading, but remember that you can also "right click" (or Ctrl-click for you Mac folks) and copy the link address to your buffer, then paste it into a 'subscribe' field in your reader. The problem is, I don't want to check 100 RSS feeds any more than I want to visit 100 Web sites every day, and that's where aggregators come in. Whether they're standalone programs, plug-ins for your favorite Web browser or email program, or Web-based services, RSS aggregators remember your subscription list, check each site on a periodic basis, and alert you to any new articles that have been published. If you're not thinking "wow, very cool" then you are spending too much time visiting Web sites! To scan the headlines of just a dozen sites on an hourly basis would probably be a full time job and if you need to keep abreast of your industry, as I do, then you wouldn't have any time to actually do anything, which would obviously be deleterious to your career long-term! :-) So there are programs you can download that are RSS aggregators (or RSS readers, basically synonymous) for Windows, Mac and Linux/Unix systems. A few of the most popular are BlogExpress and FeedReader for Windows, NetNewsWire and NewsFire for Macintosh and Lifera for Linux. Don't like having yet another application running? You can graft RSS capabilities into your Web browser (or run Firefox or Safari / Tiger, both of which have elegant built-in RSS capabilities) or your email program. Notable entries in this category are NewsGator (grafts into Microsoft Outlook on Windows), Pluck (grafts into Microsoft Internet Explorer on Windows) and Safari Menu (add-on for Apple's Safari browser that includes some RSS support). Finally, you can subscribe to an RSS aggregator Web service which gives you a custom Web page that includes the newest information from your hand-picked RSS feeds. The highest profile solution to this is My Yahoo, which recently announced support for RSS feeds as additional personal home page information sources, though it just shows you a rolling 'latest five articles' from each source, so it doesn't work for me because I'd still be left trying to remember which I'd read or not. Other possibilities include AmphetaDesk, Bloglines, and Feedster. Instead of those, however, I use a great Web-based product called NewsGator Online, which gives me the ability to track as many feeds as I like (fellow blogger Robert Scoble tracks over 1200 in his NewsGator Online account) along with the flexibility of keeping in sync at home, in my office and on the road. Whichever solution you choose, I promise you that once you start traveling down the road of RSS feeds and RSS aggregators, you won't turn back. In fact, you'll find that every time you go to a Web site that you like, you'll immediately start hunting for the "syndicate" or "rss" or "xml" button. i certainly do, and I'm more plugged in now than I could ever have been in the past. It's a rolling sea of information out there, and an RSS aggregator gives you a sail and GPS navigation system. It might just save your life out there! Dave Taylor has been involved with the blogging community for years and is widely respected as an expert on business blogging, among other areas.
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news Myanmar's Suu Kyi to get family letters, news mags (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has managed to wring small concessions from the ruling generals in the form of letters from her family and some international news magazines, her lawyer said on Friday. JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (AP via Yahoo! News) French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. News Corp tightens grip on Premiere with new CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Rupert Murdoch tightened his grip on German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere by appointing News Corp executive Mark Williams as CEO in a move to get the company back on track. SEC Looks Into UAL Stock Scare; Implications For Online News? (CBS News) A ton of digits have been devoted to this in other spots but the SEC's decision to investigate takes it to another level. The backstory: a six-year-old news story about UAL declaring bankruptcy made it into the Tribune-owned Sun-Sentinel 's current news flow, was picked up by a Google (NSDQ: GOOG) News bot and, via a reporter for a newsletter, made it onto Bloomberg News. After a lot of buck ... JCDecaux and News Corp. in talks to combine outdoor ad groups (International Herald Tribune) The News Corp. chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, has recently expressed nervousness about investments in Russia, where News Outdoor generated the bulk of its revenue last year. SEC Looks Into UAL Stock Scare; Implications For Online News? (paidContent.org via Yahoo! Finance) A ton of digits have been devoted to this in other spots but the SEC's decision to investigate takes it to another level. The backstory: a six-year-old news story about UAL declaring bankruptcy made it into the Tribune-owned Sun-Sentinel's current news flow, was picked up by a Google News bot and, via a reporter for a newsletter, made it onto Bloomberg News. JCDecaux in talks to buy News Corp. billboard unit (AP via Yahoo! Finance) In a deal that would create the world's largest outdoor advertising company, French conglomerate JCDecaux SA said Thursday that it is in talks to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. Phila. mayor to announce grim budget news (The Philadelphia Inquirer) The Nutter administration is expected to announce grim budget news today, which is all but certain to lead to significant spending cuts - perhaps as high as 10 percent - in some city departments, according to three sources familiar with the budget. News Corp says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp. executive Mark Williams has taken over as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere in an interim capacity, News Corp. said after the move led to renewed takeover speculation. DIVA TALK: Chatting with In the Heights ' Mandy Gonzalez Plus News of Fraser, Testa and Bundy (Playbill) News, views and reviews about the multi-talented women of the musical theatre and the concert/cabaret stage. Site: news - Google News CNET News Daily Podcast: Facebook, Google open competing services - CNET News
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for blogging rss BlogWorld & New Media Expo Assembles Superstar Line-up of More Than 150 Speakers (wallstreet:online AG) BlogWorld & New Media Expo, the first and only conference dedicated to blogging and new media, is BlogWorld & New Media Expo Assembles Superstar Line-up of More Than 150 Speakers (Centre Daily Times) BlogWorld & New Media Expo, the first and only conference dedicated to blogging and new media, is bringing an all-star roster of speakers to Las Vegas - with more than 150 thought leaders across every major industry. The Conference and Expo will be held Sept. 20-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Registration is open at www.blogworldexpo.com. BlogWorld & New Media Expo Assembles Superstar Line-Up Of More Than 150 Speakers (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Largest blogging conference in the world brings together new media mavericks and experts to inform, share experiences and inspire BlogWorld & New Media Expo Assembles Superstar Line-up of More Than 150 Speakers (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance) LAS VEGAS----BlogWorld & New Media Expo, the first and only conference dedicated to blogging and new media, is bringing an all-star roster of speakers to Las Vegas - with more than 150 thought leaders across every major industry. Blogging with the Devils: First look: Nevada-Las Vegas (East Valley Tribune) The first three seasons of Mike Sanford?s coaching tenure at Nevada-Las Vegas have produced two wins each, extending the Rebels? streak of years without a winning record to seven. We Know It's Hard (Phillyist) We know it's hard, keeping up with all the political corruption our city has to offer. Toss in worrying about the presidential election, and it's no wonder few of us have the energy to keep abreast of local scandals. Never fear! In the case of Papa Vince, City Paper has you covered. Tom Namako is blogging and twittering the Fumo Trial over at Fumogation . With cross-linking galore, you'll ... Blogging on the QT (O'Reilly Media) To me, though this is one of the journalistic quandaries of the twenty-first century. Where is the dividing line between news and opinion, between the article and the blog, because objective reporting and subjective editorializing? Is one better than the other? Is one more ethical than the other? WATT's FeedIndustryNetwork.com Focuses on Latest Feed Industry News, Feed Safety and More through Global Online Portal (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) FeedIndustryNetwork.com acts as a go-to resource for feed industry professionals, focusing on global issues such as feed safety, feed processing, feed quality assurance and much more. South Africa: Don't Be Digitally Dozy - Guy Berger (AllAfrica.com) As the rise of digital revolution reaches a tipping point, breaking up existing business models (information gathering, editing, packaging, dissemination and loyal audience) and reshaping journalism, traditional media organisations must start a quest for new business models suitable to the new business environment, Prof Guy Berger, head of Rhodes University's School of Journalism, told delegates ... Social Media and Privacy: Where Are We Two Years After Facebook News Feed? (Mashable) It?s really only been two years. How quickly the digital world changes. A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by the New York Times for a piece written by Clive Thompson, ? Brave New World of Digital Intimacy: I?m So Totally, Digitally Close to You .? I talked with Clive about my experience with social media, my revolt against News Feed, my blogging, and my embrace of Twitter and FriendFeed. ... Site: blogging rss - Google News WordPress Newsfeed Plugin Brings Quality Newswire Content into ... - Publishers Newswire
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