Even if you do not use the internet frequently you have probably seen the icon below.
If not you have probably heard of RSS.
RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and is a format used to publish frequently updated articles such as news headlines and blog entries.
How can it help me?
You are probably thinking, this is all very interesting but how can it help me. Well it can save you hours per day by grouping the latest content of newspaper websites and blogs you have not read yet together in one convenient location.
Think about it….
No more using 50 bookmarks to go to websites only to find that there is nothing new to read. As you can see RSS feeds can save you a lot of time each day.
How you can implement it
By following the easy steps below you can quickly and easily group all your internet reading together to allow quick easy access to all new articles.
In order to use RSS feeds you need a RSS reader. The reader can either be web/internet based similar to a web based email system such as Gmail or Hotmail or a program on your computer such as Outlook or Thunderbird.
Web based RSS readers have the advantage that you can read all your subscriptions on any computer with internet access, also in internet caf’s.
I used to use Google Reader but unfortunately stopped its development.
I went for Netvibes
I decided to use a web based application called Netvibes which you can find by clicking on the following link www.netvibes.com
Take the free option
On the homepage you will see Netvibes has a few subscription options (some of which just cost under $500 per month) but don’t worry for individuals the service is free.
In the top right of the page click on the Sign in button then click on Sign up and complete the signup form.
Once you have logged into your Netvibes account you’re ready to start adding RSS feeds.
Add your first RSS feed
To add a feed from the Financial Times to your reader go to the RSS feeds page of the Financial Times by clicking here.
Right Click on any of the feeds you are interested in, for example Europe under the heading HOMEPAGES and then click on Copy Link if you use Firefox.
Go back to where you have Netvibes open and click on the Add button at the top right of the page. In the box under Enter a feed address or website URL for auto-detection right click and select paste to insert the link you have copied from the Financial Times website. Press enter.
You will then see the feed appear in the square just below. Click on the square of the RSS feed you would like to subscribe to.
Congratulations you’ve just managed to add your first RSS feed
Not all websites have RSS
Unfortunately not all web sites can be accessed through RSS as they have to have a RSS feed.
Sometimes you have to look carefully to find the RSS icon or menu item for a website. It can in most cases be found by looking right at the top or bottom of the homepage or by using the search facility on the website.
