RSS Feeds ConsilienceBlog.org offers XML-based feeds so you can receive updates on your desktop of all the latest new blogs as soon as they happen. For more information about RSS feeds and how to receive them, continue reading. Defining the Family of RSS

RSS is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format. An RSS document (which is called a "feed", "web feed" or "channel") includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. RSS feeds can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader", or "aggregator", which can be web-based, desktop-based, mobile device or any computerized Internet-connected device.

Simplify your News Collection with RSS

Using RSS can consolidate many data sources and stop the need for you to constantly visit many different sites to access the information you want. Therefore, RSS will enable you to conveniently keep up-to-date with specific information you are interested in without having to visit each individual site. With all the information in one location you can see the updated content change when it happens. Select the Best Method before Getting Started

There are two methods to receive updated works:(1) an aggregator, or (2) your own personal news reader. The two serve the same function: they let you subscribe to feeds automatically, they go out and get the new posts for you, and then let you read them when you want, all in one place. Both have free versions and paid subscriptions. 1. Aggregators

Aggregators reduce the time and effort needed to regularly check websites for updates, creating a unique information space or "personal newspaper." Once subscribed to a feed, an aggregator is able to check for new content at user-determined intervals and retrieve the update. The aggregator user can easily unsubscribe from any feed. The aggregator provides a consolidated view of the content in a single browser display or desktop application. Such applications are also referred to as RSS readers, feed readers, feed aggregators, news readers or search aggregators. Aggregators with podcasting capabilities can automatically download media files, such as MP3 recordings. In some cases, these can be automatically loaded onto portable media players (like iPods) when they are connected to the PC. Recently, RSS-narrators have appeared, which not only aggregate text-only news feeds, but also convert them into audio recordings for offline listening. The most commonly known web-based aggregators are reader applications on the web. These are meant for personal use and are hosted on remote servers. Because the application is available via the Web, it can be accessed anywhere by a user with an Internet connection. One of the problems with news aggregators is that the volume of articles can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when the user has many Web feed subscriptions. As a solution, many feed readers allow users to tag each feed with one or more keywords which can be used to sort and filter the available articles into easily navigable categories.

2. Your own Personal News Reader or Personal Aggregator – Our preference! Client software aggregators are installed applications designed to collect Web feed subscriptions and group them together using a user-friendly interface. The graphical user interface of such applications often closely resembles that of popular email applications so that you can store them on your computer, in the same way that you either download your e-mail using Outlook, or keep it on a web-based service such as Hotmail. Software aggregators can also take the form of news tickers which scroll feeds like ticker tape that display updates in windows as they are refreshed, web browser macro tools or as smaller components (sometimes called plugins or extensions), which can integrate feeds into the Operating System or software applications such as a Web browser. How to Get Started Using Feeds The first thing you need is a new reader. Again, this is a piece of software that checks the feeds and lets you read any news articles that have been added. As discussed above, you can choose an aggregator or your own personal news reader. Our personal preference is your own personal news reader, however, if you frequently use different computers or need to access your news from different locations or different methods (e.g., iPods), a web based aggregator will be preferred. Once you have chosen a news reader, all you have to do is to decide what content you want to receive. For example, if you would like the latest blogs from Consilience: The Blog, simply visit the home page and you will notice a selection of buttons on the left hand side for some of themost popular stand-alone applications.The following arealso popular choices: Browser

Internet Explorer - IE8 Mozilla Firefox Web based aggregator

My Yahoo (Web)

MSN

I-Google

Stand alone personal web readers

Google Reader

Bloglines

NetNewsWire (Mac OS X)

Feed reader (Windows)

Straw (Linux)

Email

Mozilla Thunderbird

Newsgator Consilience: The Blog or the Institute of Green Professionals is not responsible for the content of external internet sites or for any damage resulting from the installation of any software mentioned above. Additionally, refer to theTerms and Conditions section of this blog.