So, RSS. Maybe you think this is only for those internet types or “social media types?” It’s not.
It’s for business owners, professionals and all busy people that don’t have time to continually search the internet the way you’ve been doing it.
RSS *is like* a spam-free email inbox full of all your favorite email newsletters.
RSS *is like* a postal mailbox. You can either drive to MidAmerican Energy your local newspaper or City Utilities office favorite magazine publisher to pick up your bill issue. Or, you can have your recurring mail come to one mail box,… your mail box.
Do you Google? Or use Google to seach the internet?
Do you sometimes find yourself searching for the same thing over and over, again?
Would you rather not?
If not, then “search once and subscribe.” Then you won’t have to keep searching for the same thing over and over and over again. Sound good? Good, let’s go!
Here’s how.
1. find a web site with an RSS symbol. Click on it.
2. find the Google button off to the right. Click on it.
3. sign up for Google Reader.
Once you have a Google Reader account, and every time you find an RSS button that has a Google button, you’ll be able to “burn the feed” into your Google Reader aggregator.
If the RSS button doesn’t lead to a Google button, then
1. copy/paste the URL from the internet address bar at the top to the “add a subscription” button in your Google Reader (top left corner.)
2. And then, just like Prego, it’s in there!
Now here’s the “why do I do this?” You can now do this…
1. after you do a Google search via http://blogsearch.google.com/ (the RSS subscribe button is above the fold on the left margin of the results page) or a Google search via http:/news.google.com/ (the RSS button is at the very botton of the results page.)
2. when you want to subscribe to someone else’s tweets on Twitter without having to have a Twitter account yourself. Go to Twitter.com. Do a search on the Twitter username (not their full name, e.g. jadehandy vs. Jade Handy.) Click on the blue username link inside their tweet (tweet is short for Twitter message.) On the right margin underneath all the thumbnail pictures is “RSS feed of USERNAME tweets.” Click, then copy/paste the URL into your Google Reader’s “add a subscription.”
3. for a YouTube search, weather reports for your zip code, mutual funds, sports scores of your favorite team, newspaper/magazine articles, facebook entries, Google Calendar updates of you or someone else. Oh yeah, and to get a job! (see the presentation below)
4. Wash, rinse and repeat for any other website that gets updated.
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Other resources for RSS:
What the Heck? RSS, Google Reader & a Starters Kit
What the Heck is RSS
TIPS n TRIPS (TNT): Learn RSS Feeds Top to Bottom
RSS = Relevant Signal Stream
Wikipedia
A Starter Kit for Your RSS Reading
What Is RSS? RSS Explained
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Photo Credit: curiouslee on Flickr
