What is RSS?

Originally standing for "Really Simple Syndication," RSS is an XML-based syndication format. It is used by Web sites to aggregate updates to blogs and news and deliver them to subscribers. RSS is also short for "Rich Site Summary" and "RDF Site Summary."

RSS provides subscribers with an easy way to stay updated with the latest content from their favorite Web sites. Rather than regularly visiting multiple sites to stay informed, subscribers can view aggregated RSS "feeds" through special software or browser-based news readers. This centralized approach makes scanning Web content as easy as checking email.

Literally hundreds of methods for reading RSS feeds are available – many for free. Below are links to some popular software-based RSS readers.

Windows RSS Readers:	Mac RSS Readers:	Linux RSS Readers:
Thunderbird SharpReader FeedDemon FeedReader AmphetaDesk BlogBridge	Thunderbird NetNewsWire AmphetaDesk BlogBridge	Thunderbird Straw AmphetaDesk BlogBridge

RSS readers are also available through Web browsers, such as Firefox, and through Web sites including Yahoo!, Google and Bloglines.

Web pages that are available for RSS subscription usually include a button, or depending on your browser, you may even see an indication in your browser's address bar. Below are some examples of the buttons you might encounter for an RSS feed.

To subscribe to our blog, simply click on the XML button, and either your RSS reader will pick it up, or you can copy the URL out of your browser's address bar and paste it into your RSS reader of choice.