For years I understood what RSS feeds provided, but didn’t see how it was of use to me. I was quite happy visiting websites and digesting content direct. As I started reading more sites on a regular basis I found checking sites daily to be unmanageable. I would end up missing some articles and reading others twice, so I looked for a solution.
What is RSS?
RSS stands for Rich Site Summary and is often called Really Simple Syndication or a news feed. RSS is a technology that allows you to subscribe to a RSS feed from a website and have the latest articles delivered to an RSS reader saving you visiting websites to read your articles. RSS readers are apps or websites which keep track of your feeds and which articles you have read.
So, which reader?
Google Reader provided a fantastic service until they decided to close it from July 2013. This opened up the market and many readers appeared to fill the gap. To get a decent reader, you will need to pay. I use Barqux and find it works flawlessly and replaces most features previously in Google Reader.
Once you have found a reader and registered, simply copy the RSS links from your favourite sites and add them to your reader. Most readers will keep track of what you have read and allow you to ‘favourite’ and ‘share’ articles.
Reading on the move
I have an iPhone and use Feeddler which allows me to read and sync on the move. Feeddler also integrates with Buffer allowing me to share my reads on twitter over a period of time.
I haven’t used any Android apps, but believe News+ (gReader) and JustReader (no longer available) support BazQux.
Last word….
With this software and service combo I am able to track over 100 websites and over 500 articles a week, keeping me informed and allowing me to share my best reads with others.
Tell me what you think in the comments below or on X @timdixon82
