RSS How To

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ptex
Posts: 564
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:00 am
Location: Europe, Planet Earth

RSS How To

Post: # 10329Post ptex »

You may have noticed a new button besides the FAQ (upper right part of the forum screen) with the letters RSS.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content including, but not limited to, blog entries, news headlines, and podcasts. An RSS document (which is called a "feed" or "web feed" or "channel") contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that can be piped into special programs or filtered displays.[3]
But how do you use RSS for your own purposes?

You have 2 ways of doing this:
1) using a RSS reader (like google and many others) or
2) have the RSS feed sent by e-mail, just like a digest

Below I explain both variants which are tremendously simple:

1) using a RSS reader:
Click on the orange icon Image on the top right part of the forum and on the next page (with the phrase: subscribe this feed using:) select from the option you like best. Normally you should see 5 options: "Live Bookmarks", "Bloglines", "My Yahoo", "Google" or "Choose Application".
I have tested it with Google. If you already have a google account (eg. gmail, google docs, etc.) you select "Google" click on "subscribe now" and select one of 2: either "add to Google home Page" or "Add to Google Reader". Whatever you select, and upon authenticating youself with your google username and password the feeds will be delivered there: either your "personalized google homepage" or "google reader" (accessible via web in the same manner as the gmail is, but selecting "reader");

2) via e-mail: the simplest option.
All you need is a web service that transforms RSS feeds into e-mail messages.
I have tested a few and recommend the free service: http://www.rssfwd.com/
This is a 3 step process:
2.1) copy the link of the RSS into the field "enter the url you'd like to subscribe to" ( this URL is: rss.php ).
2.2) enter your e-mail
2.3) choose your delivery frequency ("normal", "clustered" or any of the 4 "digest" types)

Click "submit" and you're done.

This is very easy and according to your preference you'll start receiving the feeds either on the reader or on your e-mail through daily (no option for weekly) digests of the posts made on the forum almost as they happen (it depends on your option and how frequently the feeds are updated by the service: typically within 30 minutes to a couple hours of interval)
User avatar
ptex
Posts: 564
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:00 am
Location: Europe, Planet Earth

Re: RSS How To

Post: # 10887Post ptex »

A small addition:

Some more RSS to e-mail services to use as alternative to the previous: http://rssforward.net/ and http://www.sendmerss.com/
Subscribing any is much simpler than the example I previously mentioned. Instead of a considerable delay in receiving the e-mails with the forum RSS feeds (like in rssfwd.com) updates through rssforward.net are polled and sent every hour. Sendmerss.com updates between 1 and 2 hours.

If anyone needs assistance regarding receiving RSS feeds, please post here (reply to this very post) and I'll be happy to answer any questions.
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