The Basics of RSS Feeds

With the new technology available in the worlds of electronic communication and the Internet, it can be hard to keep up with all the latest gadgets. In this article, we cover the basics of RSS feeds.

RSS is an acronym, and it stands for "Really Simple Syndication". It is one of several ways that web authors and publishers can use to make sure that their updated information gets to their readers in a quick and efficient way. Most often, RSS feeds are used to update readers of blogs or news sites on new information that has been posted, or in the case of podcasts, new audio that has been uploaded.

Now that we have been able to answer the question, what is an RSS feed, let's take a look at how it works. RSS is maintained by using a code known as XML, which stands for extensible markup language. This generic data format is a good way to be able to send out your RSS feed without having to use a lot of graphics or other large file formats. A reader program, downloaded by the reader or subscriber to your blog or other website, is able to take the XML information and put it into a usable context so it can be read and enjoyed.

There are a few types of RSS feeds out there, most commonly RSS 1.0 and RSS 2.0. While most people who use RSS today are updated to RSS 2.0 (the most user friendly and advanced version of the Really Simple Syndication feed), there are still a few older sites that use the 1.0 technology. Most of the RSS feed readers available today are able to read either format, but it is important to check before downloading or using a reader.

RSS feeds are easily used by the programmer, because many of the most popular website hosting and building sites allow quick implementation of this code. Other sites, such as Blogger (the most popular free blogging site and network) as well as the major blogging software companies, allow RSS feeds to be built from within their programs without needing the use of coding or other technical know-how. This means that all bloggers can use this technology to their advantage without having to learn a whole new set of codes.

What is an RSS feed? It's a great way to make sure your followers, readers or devotees can keep up to date with your web site and the information contained on it. It is also easy to use on both the publisher and consumer ends, making it a perfect solution for information dissemination.