Exercise #8

Make life "really simple" with RSS & a newsreader

RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and is a file format for delivering regularly updated information over the web.

Just think about the websites and news information sources you visit every day. It takes time to visit those sites and scour the ad-filled and image-heavy pages for just the text you want to read, doesn’t it? Now imagine if you could visit all those information sources and web pages in just one place and all at the same time … without being bombarded with advertising… without having to search for new information on the page you’d already seen or read before… and without having to consume a lot of time visiting each site individually. Would that be valuable to you? Well, it’s available now through a newsreader and RSS.

This week’s discovery exercises focus on learning about RSS news feeds and setting up a Bloglines account (a free online newsreader) for yourself to bring your feeds together.

Discovery Resources:

• CNET Video: RSS – Feel the Need for Feeds (3:32) – a good over view of what RSS is and the benefits to users.
  
  
• Feed Me: A gentle introduction to Internet feeds - a good tutorial from Palinet, a library cooperative
  
  
• Using Bloglines Tutorial (how to keep up with dozens of blogs everyday) – This online tutorial walks you through how to setup a Bloglines account and add newsfeeds. Follow Steps 1 to 3 to set up your Bloglines account. Steps 4 – 9 are optional and cover how to over how to subscribe to different types of feeds (podcasts, Flickr albums, etc.)

Discovery Exercise:

1. Follow the discovery resources above to learn more about RSS and newsreaders.
   
2. Create a free online Bloglines account for yourself and subscribe to at least 10 newsfeeds to your reader. See Using Bloglines Tutorial steps 1-3 for instructions.
   
   Newsfeeds:
   
   • Summer 2.0 participant blog feeds - Subscribe to several of your co-workers' feeds. This is as easy as typing the blog URL into the subscribe field in Bloglines. Try it, it's easy!
   
   
   • Then try adding a few other types of news feeds from other web sources.
     
   
   
3. Create a post in your blog about this exercise.
   

Don’t know what to blog about? Think about these questions:

What do you like about RSS and newsreaders?
How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your work or personal
life?
How can organizations (like UVI or the UVI libraries) use RSS or take advantage of
this new technology?

***If you want to make your Blogline's account public (so that you can share your favorite feeds with others) make sure that you select the radio button to "Yes, publish my Blogroll." Your Blogroll will be accessible at: www.bloglines.com/public/your username here. Here is link to my public Blogline's account:
http://www.bloglines.com/public/bwilkes

PS: Once you tackle this discovery exercise, you've tackled the most difficult one of the whole 23. :)