A Primer Regarding RSS Feeds
RSS Feeds stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich (web)Site Summary. The first time you see this, it may appear complex. But as you venture in the cyber world, you will encounter this often. Have you ever tried clicking on one?
Click and You Will Receive
Think of RSS as an online news channel that never sleeps. You can change channels and read whatever you want for free in your own news reader, on your desktop, or in your web browser.
Click on the information provider of your choice, and the news will be provided for you as it happens. This made it easier for web users, especially those who were especially fond of newsletters. It eliminates the hassle of checking your email everyday just to know if there is any update on your preferred site.
Compare this to how you get newspapers. It’s an expensive hassle to go to a newsstand everyday just to buy one. It’s easier if the newspaper is delivered to you each day. By clicking on the RSS feed of your favorite site, news will be available to you as long as you are connected to the Internet.
It is easy to use. If you have a connection and a web browser, you are ready to go. You can filter through the headlines and click on the topics that you find interesting. You can customize your choice and delete or add something every day. It is that simple. You get all the information you want on a daily basis without having to visit dozens of websites.
Trivia Time
Did you know that RSS was invented by Netscape? They used it at the time when they were struggling to enter the portal biz. They wanted the RSS .90, an XML format, which would make news gathering and adding those on their site a breeze. After a time, they came up with the RSS .91 but discontinued when they didn’t push through with the portal business.
This is where UserLand Software picked it up. They didn’t stop developing the idea. They had versions like .92, .93 and .94. They then developed their own interpretation of the original idea through the RSS 1.0. This is still being developed and as of late, they have the RSS 2.0.
Partial vs Full Text
Most RSS Feeds are truncated (partial) feeds. The choice of whether to produce a feed showing only headlines and teasers vs. a full-text feed is mainly up to the owner of the website. Although there is considerable evidence that full text RSS feeds are more welcome and actually read by subscribers, most website and blog owners mistakenly believe subscribers will click through to their website to read the rest of an article. In fact, very few do.
Click here to instantly modify a partial RSS feed to a full-text RSS feed.