*Note: If you already use an RSS reader on a regular basis, you can probably skip this piece. However, if you’ve got any tips on using RSS readers, please jump into the comments and add them. I’ll use them to put together a post for next week!
rss4_grande
Creative Commons License photo credit: Chesi – Fotos CC

I mention RSS readers quite a bit here. They’re where I check out my favorite authors and find inspiration. But not everyone is a fan of RSS readers, perhaps because they simply don’t know about these free tools that can simplify daily reading.

Pretty much every explanation of RSS starts with the phrase, “RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.” This doesn’t actually help you understand the topic any better; in fact, it makes it more confusing. So don’t worry what RSS stands for, just remember the acronym.

Imagine a custom-made newspaper that let you select your favorite columnists and journalists. Every time you read it, it would feature any new articles that your favorite writers had published. You’d have to put in the inital work of choosing a pool of writers you liked, but after that, all you’d have to do was open this special paper and read only the information you wanted. That’s essentially what RSS does for you.

The Benefits of RSS

  1. You don’t have to remember web addresses. Is it ZenHabits.com or ZenHabits.net? Is it LiveSimple or LivSimpl? Once you’re using RSS to catch up on your favorite blogs, you never have to remember their actual web addresses ever again. That means no “.com” vs. “.org” vs. “.net.” It also means that all isn’t lost when you can’t remember the name of a blog.
  2. You can bookmark your favorite blogs or just keep tabs on interesting ones. Did you just find a blog that looked cool the other day? Add their feed to your reader and you’ll get a copy each time they publish new articles. That way, you can figure out if you like that blog without visiting every single day.
  3. You don’t have to check back for updates. Not sure if The Simple Dollar has published the afternoon post yet? You could check back five times, or you could add the feed to your reader and have the post delivered as soon as it’s published.
  4. You can scan through dozens of headlines quickly. Instead of visiting the blog, reading the current headline, and deciding whether it interests you before moving on, you can just scroll through everyone’s headlines at once.

Ready to try it? First, you’ve got to choose a reader.

Choosing a Reader

RSS readers are free and usually just require that you set up an account. It’s not very different from setting up an email account. You choose the website you want to use, you create the account (usually just basic info and a password), and you visit that website and log in whenever you want to see the latest headlines. It looks something like this:

Google Reader
Creative Commons License photo credit: karindalziel

Lots of different websites offer readers you can use. I use Google Reader, but you can also try Bloglines, My Yahoo, Rojo, or any number of free services.

Add Blogs to Your Feed

When you first log into your reader, you won’t find any headlines. That’s because you haven’t subscribed to any feeds yet. A blog feed is just the stream of the latest posts. Subscribing to a blog’s feed is the same thing as subscribing to a blog.

You can either find your favorite feeds manually by typing them in (there’s going to be a search box for adding feeds somewhere on the reader’s page), or you can add them when you visit each site. Most blogs will have an RSS logo somewhere on the site. The logo will usually look something like this:

Rss Logo 2

If you click it, it will usually ask which RSS reader you want to use. Find the reader you’re signed up with and click it (since I use Google Reader, I would click the Google button). Depending on the reader service you’re using, there may be a couple of other questions; click on the options that say “Add to Reader” or anything similar to that. Then, you’ll usually be taken to your reader (if you’ve already logged in at an earlier point), where you can see the latest headlines of the blog you just added.

As you scroll through the new articles in your reader, they’ll look pretty much the same as they do on the regular website. All the content and pictures should be there. You just won’t see the website’s regular header and sidebar information. Basically, everything that’s not the article gets chopped away by your reader.

You can unsubscribe to any blogs at any time, so don’t worry too much about hitting that “Subscribe” button. It’s not a lifelong commitment.

Not Interested? You Can Still Take Advantage of Subscriptions

If you’re not ready to use RSS readers or you simply don’t follow enough blogs to make it necessary, you can still get all the advantages by using email subscriptions. Many blogs will have an email subscription option next to the RSS subscription button. If you provide your email address, you’ll receive an email that contains all the new blog posts from each blog you subscribe to.

If you haven’t been subscribing to your favorite blogs, I highly recommend it. It’s a great way to keep tabs on what’s new without committing a ton of time. Plus, it’s just easier once you get the intial hang of it, which doesn’t take long. And hey, if you’re ready to give it a try, you can always subscribe to my feed and see if you like the process.

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