Week 3: Semester 1
RSS and Newsreaders
Last week you started your own blog. This week you’ll learn about the RSS feeds that are automagically created by your blog & other blogs, as well as by other types of content.
You’ll learn:
- What RSS is and why you might want to use it
- How to use a newsreader to subscribe to RSS feeds
- How to know when an RSS feed is available
Listen to our third podcast and read the content below. If you have questions about anything along the way, be sure to contact us. We’re happy to help! Listen to the podcast by clicking on the play button below or read the Project Play Week 3 Podcast Transcript (pdf).
What is RSS?
The initials RSS stand for “Really Simple Syndication”. RSS is a format for syndicating & publishing content online through newsfeeds. An RSS feed is updated as soon as the original content is updated.
RSS is revolutionizing the way content creators share information, and changing the way people consume information. It’s an efficient (and free) way to stay informed on topics that interest you.
Enjoy this video which explains RSS in Plain English (note: Google Reader is shown instead of Bloglines, but you’ll get the gist):
What’s a newsreader, and why do I want one?
A newsreader is software that lets you subscribe to and read RSS feeds. With RSS feeds & a newsreader:
- Updates come to you, instead of you seeking them
- You tailor the news to fit your needs
- News is gathered in one place
- You can review lots of content in a short time
- It’s easy to scan headlines & read posts
How do I find library newsfeeds to which I can subscribe?
We’ve set up for you a core collection of library feeds at http://www.bloglines.com/public/ProjectPlay. You can preview them & choose the ones to which you’d like to subscribe.
But wait – there’s more! You can find RSS feeds at lots of web content besides blogs:
- EBSCOhost alerts. Log in to your account to “create topic search alerts & journal alerts”: http://support.epnet.com/support_news/detail.php?id=334&t=r&page=&private=true (Note: EBSCOhost is available to Wisconsin libraries through Badgerlink)
- Tags used on the del.icio.us social bookmarking service and Flickr
- Podcasts like Uncontrolled Vocabulary
- Newspapers like the New York Times
A good way to tell if web content has an RSS feed is when you see a small (often orange) RSS icon on a page or in your web browser’s address bar (see some examples). Some web pages even have a “subscribe with Bloglines” button!
What other ways can I use RSS feeds?
You can display RSS feeds on your blog or web page to provide content that’s automatically & frequently updated. These feeds can be from one of your library’s blogs, or from an outside source like newspaper headlines. Or they could be del.icio.us tags used to collect & update content on a subject guide web page.
Some free RSS display generators you can try include Feed to JavaScript, Feed Digest, RSS Mixer, and RSS-to-Javascript.
Here are examples of some of the ways libraries are re-purposing RSS feeds on their web sites:
- Denver Public Library There’s a live news feed on the right-hand side of the page; feeds are from Reuters, NY Times and other news sources
- Homer Township Public Library District (uses Feed2JavaScript) The library’s home page displays the headlines of library blogs & news sources in the center column. Sources of the newsfeeds are Library News & Announcements, the Director’s Blog, Teen Events, and local news via Google News
- MIT Libraries This page uses the RSS feed generated by the library’s del.icio.us list to populate their Virtual Reference Collection
Find more ideas for using newsfeeds at the RSS4Lib blog.
Assignment:
You’re going to set up a free Bloglines account and subscribe to at least 10 newsfeeds.
Tasks:
1. Register for a free account at Bloglines.
—This Bloglines Tutorial walks you through how to set up a Bloglines account & subscribe to newsfeeds. Follow Steps 1 to 3 to set up your Bloglines account (steps 4 through 9 are optional because they cover how to subscribe to different types of feeds).
—If you prefer, watch this video that demonstrates the steps.
2. Subscribe to at least 10 newsfeeds. Here are some for starters:
—Project Play participant blogs
—Preview & choose from a core collection of library-related blogs we’ve put together for you at the ProjectPlay blogroll
—Pick from a collection of library blogs at the Blogging Libraries Wiki
—Find more than just library blogs: http://www.bloglines.com/subbundles
3. Create a post on your blog about this assignment. Ideas for what you can write about: What do you like or about RSS feeds and aggregators? How do you think you might be able to use this in your work or personal life?
Optional: If you’re up for it, in your blog posting provide a link to the address of your public Bloglines account; details are at http://www.bloglines.com/help/share
Optional task for those who already use Bloglines:
- try Google Reader and/or
- try Bloglines Beta
Extra: Cute Overload
Every week on PP2.0 we give you a little extra something fun; this week it’s Cute Overload!
Winner of the Webby’s 2007 People’s Voice Award and the 2007 Bloggies award for Best American Weblog, Cute Overload is guaranteed to give you a daily dose (or overdose) of “prosh” critters, from aardvarks to zebra finches. News flash: Cute Overload now proven beneficial to your health!
“A thing, accompanied by a smaller version of that thing, is always cute” and “You’re cute if your furniture doubles as a meal’ are just two of Cute Overload “35 Rules of Cuteness”.
Subscribe to the Cute Overload RSS newsfeed using this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/typepad/CuteOverload
Tags: Bloglines, Cute Overload, feeds, Google Reader, newsreaders, RSSYou can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Hello: just to let all of you know. I am registered and playing along with the group, but somehow, I am not on the list yet for the SCLS students. So here is my website if anyone would like to tune in: http://wyolibrarylady.blogspot.com/
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Hi, I’m also registered but didn’t get my blog set up until this past Monday. Here is my blog under the name librarypickle:
http://librarypickle.blogspot.com/
October 4th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Just a quick note about sharing Bloglines lists, since I didn’t see it mentioned - before it will give you a valid “public” link, you’ll need to create a public username by clicking on the Account link, then the “Blog Settings” tab, and then entering a new User Name. For simplicity, I used the same username as my Blogger account. Then click “Yes, publish my blogroll” (not sure if that step is absolutely necessary or not). Now you can use the link http://www.bloglines.com/public/yourusername to provide a link to your own Bloglines list.
October 4th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I set up my RSS feeds in My Yahoo, where I already check my mail. Is that Okay, or do I also need to set one up in Bloglines? Thanks, JoAnn
October 5th, 2007 at 10:23 am
Thanks BenS, I did what you suggested and I think my blogroll is available to the public. (at least there’s a link at my blog that works). Thanks!
October 5th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
JoAnn O - It’s fine if you want to use My Yahoo if that’s where you already have an account. Thanks for letting us know!
October 5th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
If your blog isn’t showing up on the Participants page, make sure you’ve completed the form (http://www.formassembly.com/forms/47341) that registers the blog with the Project Play Coordinators. Once you’ve completed the form, your name (or pseudonym) and blog will be available. Keep on Playing!
October 6th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I already subscribe to RSS feeds- not 10 but I could add some.
I use firefox for RSS and put them in my bookmarks so I don’t have to login to bloglins all the time. And it’s easier because they pop down like a bookmark.
Can I get out of the bloglines account making too?
October 8th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Hiya D - If you know enough to use the RSS feature in Firefox, I think you’re set. Beth
October 8th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
My questions:
1. On some feeds, I am given a list of possible feed sites to choose from? You must check a box of what sometimes to appear to be the same sites. What’s that all about?
2. So to check my RSS feeds, I need to …….? Bookmark my bloglines page? I’m still going out to get the information, how is it coming to me instead?
3. Am I the only one struggling with these thoughts?
October 9th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Hi Sue,
In answer to your questions above…
1. Some sites provide multiple feeds in different formats for those people who use more proprietary feed readers or who just want things in a certain format. They might also provide one feed that provides the full excerpt in your reader vs. partial or just title or different feeds for main entries, then comments, etc. You can either read each feed to try to decipher what will be provided or just pick one and see how it goes!
2. Yes, you need to bookmark Bloglines and go there to check your feeds. The beauty is that you’re going to ONE site to check 10 feeds in one place rather than going to 10 places separately and then trying to figure out what’s new when you get there.
3. No, I don’t think you’re the only one struggling with these thoughts, but you’re asking questions and that’s a great start!
October 9th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
So when I check my bloglines page, anything newly added to the 10 sites I am getting RSS feeds from will be shown on the bloglines page? So far, I don’t think that’s happening….. Hmmmm.
October 9th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Hi Sue -
Yup, your 10 RSS feeds should show up in the left-hand frame of the page, and when there’s a new item added to any of the blogs, you’ll see a number in parenthesis behind the blog title. It will look something like “Shifted Librarian (3)”.
Just click the newsfeed that has new items, and you’ll see the individual postings in the right-hand frame of the Bloglines page.
December 5th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Just subscribed to RSS feeds on my bloglines
account. It was different, but RSS feeds are
quick sources of information.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:20 am
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February 27th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
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