KCLS Learning 2.0
 
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RSS Feeds

RSSYou've probably heard of RSS and/or have seen these icons on your favorite web sites. Ever wondered what they will do for you?
 
RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” It uses XML (the second icon) and allows you to be notified when content on a web site has been updated. With RSS you can track information posted on all kinds of new and familiar online news sources. RSS has revolutionized the way news, media and content creators share information. It is also swiftly changing the way everyday users are consuming information.

Just think about the web sites and news information sources you visit everyday. It takes time to visit those sites and scour the ad-filled and image-heavy pages for the particular text you want to read. Now imagine if you could visit your favorite information sources and web pages in just one place and all at the same time without being bombarded with advertising, or having to search for new information on the page you’d already seen or read before or having to consume a lot of time visiting each site individually. Would that be valuable to you? Well, it’s available now through a newsreader and RSS.
Rafe Needleman, editor for CNET.com Business Buying Advice, gives an illustrative 3 1/2 minute introduction to RSS feeds, how they work and how you use them. Take a look: RSS - Feel the Need for Feeds (3:32). You'll need speakers or headphones to watch this (or take a look instead at a similarly-themed text-based tutorial from Palinet.

Whether you watch Rafe's video or check out the Palinet tutorial, you'll see several references to reader software. This software is the key to keeping track of your preferred RSS feeds. For the purposes of participating in KCLS Learning 2.0, we'd like you to use Bloglines. Why? It's easy to use, it's popular, it's feature-rich and it's free...

Discovery Exercise 
  1. Go to Bloglines (link will open in a new window) and set up your personal account.
  2. Subscribe to two (2) RSS feeds.

    First, find the RSS feed. Look for XML or RSS buttons (the same ones you saw at the start of this lesson) on your favorite websites. And it's not just text-heavy sites - even your Flickr photo pages have RSS feeds (look to the bottom of a Flickr page for the feed icon). Click on the icon and select the resulting URL at the top of your web browser - this is what you'll copy then paste into Bloglines. Second, go back to your Bloglines account and click on the 'Add' link in the left side of the screen.

    Looking for more visual instructions? Take a look at this excellent tutorial on     preetamrai.com. Just keep in mind that some of the bloglines buttons used in the tutorial have changed.

    Curious about the various Bloglines check boxes when you add your RSS feed? Take a look at this descriptive     screen shot Helene Blowers created for her library's Learning 2.0 program.
  3. Subscribe to at least one (1) of the following news and/or library-themed feeds:
    -     Seattle Post Intelligence RSS link (pick one from their list)
    -     BBC News Front Page World Edition
    - Google News - Health Section
    - Reader's Club New Review Feeds
    - Unshelved Library Cartoon Feed
    - National Weather Service
You've just tackled one of the (if not the) most difficult lessons in all of Learning 2.0.
Google Reader

Google Reader is another good product and has the added benefit to tying in with the Google account you set up a few weeks ago for Blogger. Google Reader is available at www.google.com/reader.