RSS Feeds - The best way to keep up with websites

What's an RSS Feed?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS feeds are a way for websites to distribute new content as it becomes available. RSS alerts you to a website's newest headlines and features.

RSS solves a problem for people who regularly use the web. It allows you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are interested in. You save time by not needing to visit each site individually. You ensure your privacy, by not needing to join each site's email newsletter. 

Think of an RSS feed as a file that contains a blog or website's most recent entries. By subscribing to a site's feed, you will automatically be notified when that website contains new posts or entries.
Instead of checking sites repeatedly for updates or receiving too many email newletters, RSS feeds bring your favorite websites to you!

How can I read RSS Feeds?
You need a free RSS "aggregator" or reader. Some readers run on your desktop and are as easy to use as common e-mail software, while others are web-based. 
Here are some my favorite reader options:

• Google Reader - pretty easy to set up & use and you probably already have a Google account (like Gmail, Picasa, iGoogle). This is a web based reader - which means you go to  www.google.com/reader
• FeedDemon – this is a desktop application that runs similar to MS Outlook. This is a great program that can be used "as-is" but is also very customizable 

An RSS feed can be identified by this universal symbol (orange square w/ white lines).

When you see it on a website, clicking will usually direct you to that site's feed.

From there, you can either copy and paste the link to subscribe to the feed in Reader, or in the case of many browsers, click a button to subscribe directly.
You can also subscribe directly from RSS Reader, like in Google Reader, it will offer you some suggestions of feeds you might be interested in following.
RSS Feeds are great for freebie hunting, coupons & promos, employment searches, news, financial/stocks, parenting suggestions...basically any site you find yourself visiting frequently would be great. Also, any topic your interested in, like tech & electronics, gardening, politics are great to keep up with by RSS feeds.


This may seem more complicated than it actually is once you start using it. But if you have ANY questions about how to use RSS feeds/readers, how to subscribe to my blog by RSS, or any other question you may have, please just post a comment on this blog and I'll help you.