getting started with rss
DESCRIPTION
This is an introductory presentation I gave on RSS in 2005.TRANSCRIPT
Really Simple Syndication:
By Jenna Moore
Creating and Reading RSS Using Editors and Aggregators
What We’re Going to Cover
What is RSS?Why Should You Care?Reading News FeedsCreating News FeedsEmbedding News Feeds into Your Website
What is RSS?
Really Simple Syndication is an easy way to:distribute a list of headlines or updates to a large number of users.simplify Web browsing by notifying you when changes occur. eliminate the need to check each site regularly.
What used to take an hour to check, can be done in a few minutes.
Business Application
Save time getting the latest news in the industryPush out information about new products to customersKeep customers informedIncrease customer return to your website
Used by many top companies including Microsoft, ESPN, and others
Terms to Know
Aggregator: A reader or service that displays RSS outputChannel/Feed: A list of headlines for a particular topicItem: A headline with a link to more informationRSS 0.91, 1.0, 2.0: Versions of RSS, similar to HTMLATOM: A weblog syndication format that is incompatible with RSS. Not widely supported by readers.
List of Channels
Click a Channel
An online aggregator
Now we see the list of available headlines from this channel
Click an item or headline. Let’s try “Save My Game”.
Reading RSS
Online Services: These services let you view all of your subscribed channels via one website
Email Aggregators: Send your channels to your email
Stand-Alone Clients
Online Services
BloglinesMyYahoo RSS Headlines ModuleNewsGator
Email Readers
you subscribe: An aggregator for Microsoft Outlookhttp://www.yousoftware.com/subscribe/
email.about.com: A list of email aggregators for various
platforms http://email.about.com/od/rssfeedreaders/
Stand-Alone Clients
SharpReader: Well organized, handles all RSS and
Atom. Requires .NET Framework http://www.sharpreader.net
Omea Reader: Integrates feeds and Web pageshttp://www.jetbrains.com/omea/reader/
Creating Your Own RSS Feed
Simple as 1-2-3!An RSS file is a basic
XML file1. Create 2. Validate 3. Post
Subscribe to the URL
Creating RSS Files
XML File HeaderRSS File HeaderChannelsItemsSample File
This is what our RSS file gives us here.
In Bloglines we can see the description, too
Editors
Online EditorsStand-Alone EditorsPlug-ins
Online Editor
Webreference RSS Channel Editor (http://www.webreference.com/cgi-bin/perl/rssedit.pl)– Easy to use, no code needed– Enter your data & URL– Builds and displays the XML for you, just copy
and paste into your HTML page– Update your channel from anywhere!
Stand-Alone Editors
Tristana Writer– http://www.charlwood.com/tristana/writer/– Requires IE 5.5 or higher– Creates RSS 2.0 or ATOM– Can create a new feed from a web page– Downside: Trialware- 15 days, then you pay
NewzAlert Composer– http://www.afreego.com/NewzAlertComposer.php– Creates RSS 2.0 compliant XML– Organize your feeds using categories– New Feed Wizard helps new users create feeds immediately– Very easy to use– Downside: Trialware- 15 day trial is free, after that $29.95-49.95
Plug-in
RSS Editor– http://rsseditor.mozdev.org/– This is a plug-in for Mozilla FireFox– Works with CJK (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) characters
correctly – Easy to use RSS (or live bookmark) for your homepage, that
doesn't use a CMS. – A desktop RSS 2.0 file editor – Reads RSS 0.9x/1.0 files (only supports common fields for RSS
1.0) – Simple and intuitive user interface – Automatic update of "publication date" and "last build date" when
you input data – Downside: Publishing isn’t as simple as it appears
Embedding Newsfeeds
You can embed news feeds for relevant topics into your own website.This increases the value of your website to clients, who can come to your website without needing to reference others.Adds revolving information to your site, keeping readers coming back.
Example
How Easy!
There are many ways to embed RSS feeds– ASP– JavaScript– Others
The Easiest:JavaScript RSS Box Viewer http://p3k.org/rss/?setup=true
Some Feeds to Read
STC News: The STC newsfeedESPN: A list of sports channels from ESPNWebMD: The Webhealth newsfeedNew York Times: A list of channels from NYTWired.com: A list of channels from Wired
Copy the URL for the RSS or XML page into your RSS reader.
Resources for More Info
RSS 2.0 Specification at http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssBasic RSS Tutorial http://rss.softwaregarden.com/aboutrss.htmlIntroduction to RSS for Educational Designers http://www.downes.ca/files/RSS_Educ.htmInfo on Readershttp://allrss.com/rssreaders.html