RSS

Overview:

In this lab, you will learn about RSS feeds and technologies called readers or aggregators that use these feeds to collect information.

Objectives:
  1. To explain what RSS feeds are including how they differ from html coding.
  2. To identify the variety of options available for a person to monitor RSS feeds.
  3. To understand the utility and the drawbacks of RSS.
  4. To demonstrate your ability to subscribe to RSS feeds using a reader of your choice.
The More You Know:
RSS Defined

The word RSS is an acronym that stands for Really Simple Syndication (or sometimes referred to as Rich Site Summary).  For a nice brief introduction to RSS, check out these three resources:

  1. 7 Things You Should Know About RSS – from Educause
  2. Tech Teacher: Cut Through the Web Noise – from Edutopia
  3. RSS in Plain English – Video from The Common Craft Show

Readers or Aggregators

After reading and viewing the resources above, you should have a fairly good idea what RSS feeds are, how to look for them on web pages.  Now let’s turn our attention to some of the options one has for RSS reader or Aggergators.

Email Readers:

One option that a person might choose is to use an email client to monitor RSS feeds. Three popular tools are Mozilla’s Thunderbird, Apple’s Mail, and MS’s Outlook.

  1. Subscribing to RSS using Thunderbird
  2. Apple Mail
  3. Subscribing with Outlook 2007

Some of the affordances of using email clients for managing RSS feeds is that it integrates nicely into a common activity for most people.  You can check email and your feeds at the same time.  A potential drawback, however, is that because these applications run locally, you would not be able to access your feeds from another computer without using a remote desktop.

Browser-based Readers:
Most web browsers have now added RSS subscription ability directly within them.  Just like with the email clients, integrating a feed reader into the browsers allows people to check their feeds while doing something they already usually do.  However, the same constraints apply; the feeds are still only available if the individual is using their computer.
  1. Firefox’s Live Bookmarking
  2. Internet Explorer 7′s Feed Button
  3. Safari’s Bookmarks

Web Readers:
In contrast to the email and browser options, web-based reader allows you to manage your feeds and access them from any Internet-connect computer.  Like other web 2.0 apps, you establish an account where you can read and manage your subscriptions.  Some popular examples of web readers or aggregators are:
  1. Google Reader
  2. Bloglines

Mashup Readers:
Finally, in the spirit of one-stop-shopping, mashup readers have become quite popular.  Like web-readers, users establish accounts and can access their resources from any Internet-connected computer.  In addition, these sites allow for tabbed organization and mashing resources together.  Some examples include:
  1. iGoogle
  2. PageFlakes
  3. Netvibes

As you can see, there is quite a variety of ways to monitor RSS feeds.  The key is to find one that you can easily incorporate into your daily regiments.

Your Performance Tasks:

For this lab, please complete the following tasks:

  1. Create a public RSS reading page (services that allow you to do this include Bloglines, Pageflakes, and Netvibes).
  2. With this reader, subscribe to at least 3 feeds that appear to have frequent useful content updates related to a subject you teach (for example, http://www.physicstoday.org/, or http://blogs.everettsd.org/cgaub/).  You will need to get crafty with your Googling!  Try searching for “your subject” and “blog” or “current events”.
Due Date:

All tasks for this lab must be completed by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 13th.  Please submit a link to your public RSS aggregation page to the comments area below.

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