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 to decide
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 to in their RSS aggregators
which they can change at any time.
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 emails.
6. Unsubscribing is hassle-free. Unlike email subscriptions where
the user is asked questions on why they are unsubscribing and then are
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 was
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.
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