RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a new way to surf the web, which puts the user in the center rather than the sites he surfs. It increases the efficiency of using the internet and multiple the number of sites read and with less time ‎spent. Read this short guide to familiarize yourself with this tool and get started easily.‎

‎What is RSS

Put simply, RSS means that a website has the ability to update its readers ‎with new content it publishes. It does so by using a certain code structure that allows a ‎user-side program (called “RSS reader”) to read its content. This new content is the site’s ‎feed.‎

Why is it good

With RSS, there is no need to look for new content in your favorite ‎websites. Instead, this content comes to you. So now, Instead of going to ten different ‎sites just to find out that half of them have not changed, you only need to open your RSS ‎reader and see the new content from the half that have.‎

RSS helps coping with today’s ‎information overload by enabling users to scan through hundreds of updates from ‎hundreds of sites in minutes. I, for example, scanned through ‎‎7,873 updates in 467 sites ‎just in the past 30 days. It ‎dramatically improves your web reading efficiency by preventing the need to go through ‎different sites, waiting for them to load, watching advertisements, rereading things ‎already read and so on.‎

How to use it

Here is how to get started:

1. Get an RSS reader. I ‎recommend Google Reader, but you can use any one of dozens of RSS readers available, ‎such as these: www.blogs.com, www.newsgator.com, ‎www.netvibes.com, ‎www.bloglines.com. Some web browsers (like Firefox and ‎Maxthon) as well as Outlook ‎‎2007 has it built in.‎
2. Subscribe to feeds. This sign (or alike) indicates that the site is RSS ‎compatible. Click it to be directed to that site’s feed. Usually you will only need to click a ‎button to automatically add  the site to your reader. Sometimes, you’ll need to subscribe ‎manually by copying the feed address from the address bar and pasting it into your RSS ‎reader.‎ ‎
3. Read your feeds. Whenever you feel like, open your RSS reader to read ‎new content form your favorite websites. If you didn’t read them for a period of time – it’ll ‎just be waiting there for you, so that nothing is missed.‎

Related posts:

1. 6 Ways to Find More Sites worth Subscribing to
2. Google Reader Tips and Practices for Power Users
3. Use Visual Cues to Identify Non-Interesting Content in Your RSS Stream
4. Before Google – Use Your RSS Reader as a Search Engine
5. 4 Steps to Optimize Your RSS Subscription List in Google Reader