RSS Feeds

What is RSS?
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication." It is a format for distributing regular changing Web content. RSS feeds contain headlines with hyperlinks to articles or web pages containing more information.

Benefits of RSS?
RSS feeds allow you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the site you are interested in. Notifications of changes to multiple websites are handled easily, and the results are presented to you in a well organized and concise format.

How Do I Use RSS?
To view RSS feeds, you need an RSS reader (also sometimes called an aggregator).There are a number of readers available for download, many at no cost. They vary from Web and browser-based versions to desktop applications. Readers vary slightly in how they look and act, so you may find yourself testing several before choosing one. See a list of readers here.

What is a Feed?
A feed is similar to a bookmark in a web browser. It connects to the page and updates your reader automatically allowing you see the latest content. If you subscribe to the GCSAA News feed, for example, you will always see the latest news announcements and information from the home page in your reader.

How Do I "Subscribe" to a Feed?
There are various ways. You may see the big orange symbol on Web pages, which is a link to the RSS feed or a page of feeds. Copy the url (the Web address) of the feed you want and paste it in your reader to subscribe. Many pages offer one-click subscription to well-known aggregators like MyYahoo, NewsGator, Bloglines, Rojo and Google Reader. The latest versions of the popular web browsers Internet Explorer and Firefox and Apple’s Safari now incorporate RSS feeds into their bookmark programs. If your bookmarks are showing updated content, you are subscribed to RSS feeds and you don’t even know it.

How do I find out if a website has an RSS feed?
It is getting more and more common for websites to have RSS feeds. They usually indicate the existence of the feed on the home page or main news page with a link to "RSS", or sometimes by displaying an orange button with the letters "XML" or "RSS". Many variations exist, you may find buttons labeled RSS, just the orange symbol or the word RSS in a footer. Many websites are now using the orange RSS symbol in the address bar of your browser.

Can I Access RSS Only Through a Computer?
You can access RSS feeds on mobile devices and many cell phones or via e-mail as well as on a computer.