RSS Readers

Our last Blue Sky Friday discussed RSS and Flock but I thought it might be useful for everyone to see some documentation on the subject. Probably the most important thing about RSS is that you have to have an "aggregator" or RSS reader to be able to read the RSS feed. Most current browsers include an RSS reader. These include Firefox, Internet Explorer 7 (not 6), Opera and Safari as well as Flock. The RSS reader used in Flock and by some of the Firefox users in the meeting is called Sage. If you are using Firefox, you may want to give this one a try. If you cannot view an RSS feed, you are probably using an old browser and need to upgrade.

RSS feeds make it easier to stay on top of the information you want. By finding feeds that focus on your specific topic of interest you can avoid plowing through infromation you don't want. In the case of our own library catalog, you can create a search and subscribe to the feed so that whenever new materials are added, the titles are listed in the subscription.

When searching for RSS feeds, keep your eyes posted for the feed icon. It is the symbol that shows an RSS feed is available for the information you are viewing. Some of my favorite RSS feeds are Digg, BBC Americas, and Slashdot oh and of course the UNF Library's What's New feed. Feel free to leave comments with your favorite feeds.