RSSReally Simple SyndicationCan Really Save Your Sanity!

Lauren McSwain-Starrett,ITC Customer CommunicationsOffice Technology Conference 2009

RSS Overview

What is RSS? How does it benefit me? Is it a lot of trouble to set up? What subscription method is best for

me? Which RSS feeds might make my life

easier?

What Stuff Do You View Online?

Recipes Movie screenings Movie reviews TV listings Travel deals Traffic reports

News headlines Blog entries Sports scores Stock quotes Weather

forecasts Podcasts

“There’s an RSS feed for that!”

So, What Exactly Is RSS?

vs.

So, What Exactly Is RSS?

When new material is posted at websites of interest to you…

…RSS delivers the update to you automatically…

…without you needing to remember to check manually for updates.

Just read at your own convenience!

How Does RSS Really Benefit Me?

You stay in the know and enjoy greater…

Timeliness Convenience Portability Privacy

But Isn’t It a Lot of Trouble to Set Up?

Nope. RSS can be set up in just seconds.

And you can customize your subscription to the format to works best for you.

How Do I Choose What’s Best for Me?

EmailMobile Device

Web Browser Website

To Read New Posts In Your Email…

Copy & paste the URL into your email settings

Follow RSS subscription instructions provided in your email program’s Help

http://itc.virginia.edu/feeds/downtimefeed.xml

To Read New Posts on Your Mobile Device…

Use an app to collect RSS feeds and format them for easy reading on a tiny screen

Investigate the many free, downloadable apps for your device

ITC Alerts

ITC Emergency Downtime: Affects UVaCollab, Main UVa Web Cluster, Home Directory Service, Library Storage

ITC Service Notice: ITC to Discontinue Delivery of Email to unix.mail.virginia.edu Accounts

ITC Service Notice: Walk-In Support Hours Changing

To Read New Posts In Your Web Browser…

Click on an RSS link or copy & paste the URL for an RSS feed into your browser’s Web address field

1. Bookmarks Toolbar

2. Bookmarks Menu

To Read New Posts on a Website…

Set up your own personalized home page, tailored exactly to your interests, using an RSS aggregator website

Employer News

UVa/Cville News Industry News Personal Interests

Setting Up Your PageFlakes1. Click “Menu” in top right2. Browse the Flakes you’d like to add

Select from preset RSS Flakes: News, blogs

Add your customized RSS flakes: Click link on left, copy & paste in RSS feed

URL Add non-RSS flakes:

Email, Facebook, Wikipedia, Google, calculator, world clock, to-do list, etc.

3. Click & drag to arrange your Flakes!4. Make a login to access from any

computer.

Some RSS Feeds You May Want… ITC Alerts & Downtimes

http://itc.virginia.edu/feeds/downtimefeed.xml

ITC Front Page News & Announcements http://itc.virginia.edu/feeds/newsfeed.xml

UVa Alerts emergency notifications http://feeds2.feedburner.com/uvaalerts

UVA Today http://feeds2.feedburner.com/uvatoday

Headlines @ UVa http://feeds2.feedburner.com/uvaheadlines

Really Simple Summary

RSS Provides: Subscribe Via:

Timeliness Convenience

Portability Privacy

“There’s an RSS feed for that!”

Email Mobile device

Web browser

Website