by Jane Foster

What is RSS? You probably have seen this three-letter acronym in the course of your
internet surfing. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary;
syndicating means republishing an article that comes from another source such as a
website.

An RSS is a means of publicizing updates about websites. It may or may not include a
summary and photos of the latest posting. But those that provide summaries (thus Rich
Site Summary) allow users to skim through the article so that they could decide later on
if they want to access the website source. The RSS feed usually contains the title of
the update originating from the website. It is also usually the link to the website
source.

What are the benefits of RSS? RSS gives benefits to both readers (users) and web
publishers. 1. It gives you the latest updates. Whether it is about the weather, new
music, software upgrade, local news, or a new posting from a rarely-updates site learn
about the latest as soon as it comes out.

2. It saves on surfing time. Since an RSS feed provides a summary of the related
article, it saves the user’s time by helping s/he decide on which items to prioritize
when reading or browsing the net.

3. It gives the power of subscription to the user. Users are given a free-hand on which
websites to subscribe in their RSS aggregators which they can change at any time they
decide differently.

4. It lessens the clutter in your inbox. Although your email address will be required to
enjoy the services of online RSS aggregators, RSS does not use your email address to
send the updates.

5. It is spam free. Unlike email subscriptions, RSS does not make use of your email
address to send updates thus your privacy is kept safe from spam mails.

6. Unsubscribing is hassle-free. Unlike email subscriptions where the user is asked
questions on why s/he is unsubscribing and then the user would be asked to confirm
unsubscribing, all you have to do is to delete the RSS feed from your aggregator.

7. It can be used as an advertising or marketing tool. Users who subscribe or syndicate
product websites receive the latest news on products and services without the website
sending spam mail. This is advantageous to both the web user and the website owner since
advertising becomes targeted; those who are actually interested in their products are
kept posted.

What are the drawbacks of RSS? The disadvantages of RSS use are brought about by its
being a new technology and some user-preference concerns. 1. Some users prefer receiving
email updates over an RSS feed.

2. Graphics and photos do not appear in all RSS feeds. For conciseness and ease of
publication, RSS feeds do not display the photos from the original site in announcing
the update except for some web-based aggregators

3. The identity of the source website can be confusing. Since RSS feeds do not display
the actual URL or name of the website, it can sometimes get confusing on what feed a
user is actually reading.

4. Publishers cannot determine how many users are subscribed to their feed and the
frequency of their visits. Moreover, they would not know the reasons why users
unsubscribe which could be important in improving their advertising.

5. RSS feeds create higher traffic and demands on the server. Most readers still prefer
the whole update over a brief summary of the entry, thus they still access the site.

6. Since it is a new technology, many sites still do not support RSS.

How do I start using RSS? There are two things needed: an RSS feed and an RSS aggregator
or reader. The RSS feed comes from an RSS-supported website. There are also websites
that provide a list of RSS feeds of different websites. An RSS aggregator is used to
read the RSS feed from the source website. It scans and collects data on latest RSS
feeds from the worldwide web.

An aggregator comes in two forms: a downloadable program also known as desktop
aggregator and an online or web-based aggregator. Downloadable aggregators may require
payment before they can be acquired, while internet-based aggregators are usually free
of charge. All you need to do is to register an account then you are ready to use their
services. Both versions allow you to customize or choose which RSS feeds to enter. Paid
aggregators are usually chosen by more experienced users and they usually allow more
freedom in customizing feeds.

1. Choose an RSS aggregator to use. For beginners, web-based aggregators are recommended
since they are usually user-friendly

2. Scan the homepage of your target website for the RSS or XML button. It contains the
RSS code you need to enter in the aggregator. Copy this code. Syndic8 provides a
directory of websites that support RSS.

3. Paste the code (which contains the URL of the website) in your aggregator. There is a
space provided for pasting the code.

After you have done these three easy steps, you can start reading the RSS feeds coming
from the website. New postings appear as they are published real time at the source
website.

RSS and Internet Marketing

The original idea of RSS came from Netscape, where their intention is to provide a means
for users to customize their personal homepage to contain links to websites that
interest them, similar to bookmarking websites.

The application of RSS to internet marketing was an unforeseen development to RSS
technology developers. Since users are given the freedom to add RSS feeds to their
aggregators, those who are interested in particular products and services available in
the internet can now be notified real time. Marketing becomes more specific to
interested people and not a hit-and-miss operation.

Those who intend to use RSS for marketing their products and services should consider
linking up with email account providers, (e.g. Yahoo, MSN, Google mail); networking
websites (e.g. Friendster, Multiply, My Space, Hi5); websites of newspapers and
television network websites (e.g. New York Times, CNN) for medium to big-scale
companies. Small-time industries can also look into networking websites as well as
personal blog websites (e.g. Blogspot) and websites of clubs and organizations that
would probably make use of their products or services e.g. a fishing supplies store can
look for the website of their local fishing club for possible RSS marketing.

Clearly, RSS is an innovation in information management in the worldwide web as well as
online marketing. We can expect better RSS technology in the not-so-distant future as
its popularity increases among users and website owners alike.

::About the Author::

Jane runs the website Home-Industry - a work at home directory which regularly reviews
and updates details of the latest internet home business ideas and opportunities.

To get your own money making website set up free visit: Pluginsite

To receive a free email marketing course: mailto: home-industry@getresponse.com

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