Understanding RSS

A lot of people ask me about getting started with RSS. This page gives the basics, including links to some popular feedreaders (aggregators) as well as some sample RSS feeds. If you have other resources that ought to be included here, let me know.

Feedreaders (Aggregators)

For an excellent, self-evolving introduction to feedreaders, or aggregators, see Wikipedia.

• NetNewsWire - A Mac OS X only client. My favorite. (free lite version)

• NewsGator - a Windows client that plugs into Outlook. ($29)

• NewZCrawler - Windows ($25)

• SharpReader - Windows (free, donation requested)

• MyYahoo! RSS Display - Free, Web-based tool displays RSS on your Yahoo! homepage.

• Bloglines - free Web-based RSS aggregator.

• Hand/RSS for PALM OS - via direct connection or HotSync ($15)

• BottomFeeder - Cross platform (free)

Sample RSS Feeds

Note that unless otherwise noted, these URLs are the actual URLs of the RSS feed. Simply cut and paste them into your aggregator. These are not chosen as a representative sample, but simply as specific examples that I find interesting.

• Windley's Technometria

• UtahPolitics.org

• Ray Ozzie

• The Scobleizer

• State of Utah RFPs

• Amazon.com Syndicated Content - click for a list of available feeds.

• New York Times - click for a list of available feeds.

• c|net News - click for a list of available feeds.

• Rolling Stone - click for a list of available feeds

• Time Magazine - click for a list of available feeds

Other Resources

• Rafe Needleman's RSS Tutorial (video)

• LockerGnome's RSS Resources

• RSS in Government

• Syndicat8 - searchable directory of RSS feeds

Formats

• RSS vs. Atom

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Last Modified: Friday, 31-Dec-2004 19:43:16 MST