Week 02: RSS

The following will provide tutorials, definitions and examples of Atom and RSS. You are not required to look at all of the material, but search it until you feel that you have a good understanding of what is required for you to fulfill the assignment.

Table of contents

RSS – What is it? RSS Atom Book Using an RSS Aggregator Links to Learning Tutorials and references Assignment

RSS – What is it?

RSS

Wikipedia Definition
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(protocol))

Many words have described the acronym RSS. The following is a list of the various words and the standards ascribed to them. Like Atom, it is an XML format used for publishing and editing content for websites, blogs, and podcasts.

• Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)
• Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91, RSS 1.0)
• RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0)
• Real-time Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)

Atom

Wikipedia Definition
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom_feed)

What Is Atom?
(http://www.atomenabled.org/developers/syndication/#whatIsAtom)

Web resources that are updated periodically use Atom, which is an XML format, used for publishing and editing content. Some feel it addresses problems found in RSS.

On Web pages the web feeds like Atom or RSS are typically linked with symbols. Here are a few examples:

Introduction to RSS
(http://careo.elearning.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?IntroToRSS)

An Introduction to RSS for Educational Designers
(http://www.downes.ca/files/RSS_Educ.htm)

A Great Video
(http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/show/nmc1003/index.html)

Journal Article About RSS
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/04/04/xmlfiles/)

An Introduction to RSS and Feeds

(http://www.feedster.com/help/rssopml.php)

Book

RSS and Atom Understanding and Implementing Content
Feeds and Syndication
(http://packtpub.com/files/RSS_and_Atom_Book_Chapter1_what_are_newsfeeds.pdf)

Using an RSS Aggregator

An aggregator is software that retrieves a web feed (RSS and Atom) in order to publish information that is syndicated on web sites such as blogs.

Bloglines (http://bloglines.com)

Ranchero (http://ranchero.com/netnewswire/) (mac)

AWASU (http://www.awasu.com) (windows)

Links to Learning

Tutorials and references

CNet RSS news you choose (video on how to subscribe)
(http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10088_7-5143656.html)

Building a RSS feed, step by step, and using it
(http://xul.fr/en-xml-rss.html)

RSS Quick Summary – Sam Ruby
(http://intertwingly.net/slides/2003/seybold/)

Usage Study, RSS—Crossing into the Mainstream (Ipsos Insight/Yahoo!), PDF:
(http://publisher.yahoo.com/rss/RSS_whitePaper1004.pdf)

Firefox: RSS web feeds and Live Bookmarks:
(http://johnbokma.com/firefox/rss-and-live-bookmarks.html)

Assignment

1. Obtain an RSS aggregator
2. Subscribe to at least ten blogs on topics of your own choosing.
3. Track blogs for a week
4. Post your thoughts about using RSS (to your blog)
5. Post links to some of the best things you found using your aggregator (to your blog)

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Citation: Wiley, D. (2006, December 13). RSS. Retrieved February 07, 2008, from Free Online Course Materials — USU OpenCourseWare Web site: http://ocw.usu.edu/Instructional_Technology/new-media/rss.htm.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.