In a recent article I wrote, "I'd suggest you add it to your RSS newsreader. If you don't have an RSS newsreader, get one." Several newsletter readers wrote to ask for more information. Most asked, "What is an RSS newsreader?"
First, you might want to read my earlier article, “A Really Simple Explanation of Really Simple Syndication (RSS)," which is still available at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/a-really-simple-explanation-of-really-simple-syndication-rss.html.
RSS can be used for many purposes, but it’s most commonly used to read news sites and blogs. RSS really shines at publishing information that is updated frequently. Examples include any site that publishes news, weather, sports, weather, stock market information, or most any blog. Almost all genealogy blogs have RSS newsfeeds available. One example I can offer is Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter.
Almost all the web sites I mentioned (news, weather, sports, weather, stock market information, or blogs) can be read in a normal web browser. You can open most of them in Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Opera, or most any other web browser and read them in the same manner as any other web site. In fact, that is the method that most people use to read Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter.
Reading any of these sites in a standard web browser works well, and most every computer user already knows how to use a web browser. The majority of computer users do not seem interested in switching to anything else. However, the downside is that navigating from one web site to the next with a web browser can be slow and tedious. My suspicion is that many people will check a web site of interest daily for a week or two and then, as time goes by, check it less and less often. The result is that the person misses out on information of interest simply because of information overload: it takes too long to check all the web sites of interest.
Luckily, many of these news, weather, sports, stock market information, and blog sites also offer a second method of distributing information that is faster and easier to use; it even runs automatically in the background. This second method is called RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication. The word "simple" is the keyword here. The process is super simple to use and requires almost no technical knowledge. If you already know how to surf the web and how to read email messages, you can probably use an RSS newsreader.
With RSS, you go to a single place – either a web page or a file on your computer – and Voila! There are all the latest articles from all the web sites you subscribed to! To read any article, you click on its title, just like opening an email message.
RSS simply adds a method of automation: instead of performing repetitive tasks yourself, let your computer do them. After all, computers are really good at performing repetitive tasks. What RSS automates for you is the gathering of articles from web sites you’ve chosen to track, and the placement of those articles in a single retrieval location that you can visit as desired – a kind of “one-stop shop” for current information about all the subjects you want to follow.
There are two new buzzwords to learn: an RSS newsfeed is simply a file created automatically by the web site that contains all the latest articles. An RSS newsreader is either (1.) a piece of software you install on your computer or (2.) a piece of software installed on a web site. Either way, it is designed to read the RSS newsfeed files and convert them into text you can read. Either method works although there are advantages and disadvantages to each.
I prefer method #1 (software you install in your computer) because it is significantly faster in operation. In fact, if you are using a dial-up connection to the Internet, I'd strongly recommend using method #1. You'll be amazed at the increase in speed of reading your favorite sites' information daily.
Method #2 (visiting a web site that is designed to convert RSS newsfeeds into text you can read) is simpler to set up since it requires no downloading or installation of software. Of course, you can always do both: try the simple method first (method #2) and use it for a while. If you like the concept and wish to improve your user experience, you can always try the installed software (method #1) method later. You can switch back and forth as often as you wish.
Using RSS is simple although the exact details will vary from one RSS newsreader to another. Generally speaking, most RSS newsreaders will gather information from the web sites you specify as a background process – that is, while you are perhaps using the computer for other purposes. The information gathered is stored on your local hard drive (if using method #1) or on an RSS newsreader web site where you have created an account (method #2). Whenever you are ready, you can open the RSS newsreader to quickly and easily read the information stored there. Most RSS newsreaders operate in a loosely similar manner to reading email: each web site's articles show as different "folders," and each new article is stored in your "inbox." You just point and click the mouse to move from one article to the next, much the same as the way you read email messages in your email inbox.
When using an RSS newsreader, you do not need to remember or to enter long URLs (web addresses) or use bookmarks. RSS is also impervious to spam filters. Since the new articles are not sent by email, the problems with email delivery are avoided.
Another advantage is that you are in control of all the information you receive. With all RSS newsreaders, you specify the newsfeeds you wish to receive. In other words, you "subscribe" to each web site's RSS newsfeed that you wish to read. If you later change your mind, you can “unsubscribe" with a very few mouseclicks. You do not need to visit any web site and depend on someone else's methodologies to subscribe or unsubscribe; you remain in full control of all the information you receive.
Hundreds of RSS newsreaders are available, and most of them are free of charge. Here is a list of some of the more popular newsreaders:
Web based:
Google Reader - Free RSS News Feed Reader
NewsGator Online Services make your RSS feed follow you. Using intelligent subscription and item synchronization, you can read news on the web, via POP email, on a mobile device, or in NewsGator for Outlook. It is a bit more complex to configure than most other online RSS newsreaders.
Bloglines is a great, web-based way to read RSS feeds. There's no software to wrestle with, and using Bloglines is smooth and easy.
NewsIsFree is a comprehensive web-based RSS feed aggregator with a newspaper-like layout and a popularity filter to show you only mass-moving items.
Yahoo News is a bit simplistic but does the basics. It is a good choice for anyone who uses Yahoo Mail or uses Yahoo as their browser's home page - http://news.yahoo.com/page/rss
Windows downloadable programs:
FeedDemon is a clean and well thought-out approach to reading RSS feeds. Easy to configure and use, FeedDemon does all the basics and does them well. http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/FeedDemon/Default.aspx
Feedreader is a clean RSS feed client with new article notifications. http://www.feedreader.com
Pluck offers a friendly way to follow news and web site updates by turning Internet Explorer into a comfortable RSS feed reader. http://www.pluck.com
RSS Bandit - http://rssbandit.org
Sage improves on Mozilla Firefox's live bookmarks with an RSS feed reader extension that adds better organization and much prettier display. http://sagerss.com
Awasu Personal Edition - A very powerful free RSS News Feed Reader that is a bit more complex to configure than others. I'd suggest this for users who are already familiar with other, simpler RSS newsreaders and who are looking for something more sophisticated. An even more advanced version of Awasu is available for a fee. http://www.awasu.com
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, fully featured, secure and very functional email client and RSS feed reader. It lets you handle mail efficiently and with style, and Mozilla Thunderbird filters away junk mail, too. http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird
The Opera email client is a slick and flexible interface that will satisfy almost all your email needs, and Opera integrates RSS feeds in this experience as well. http://www.opera.com
Macintosh downloadable programs:
NetNewsWire (my favorite Macintosh RSS newsreader) is competent and flexible RSS feed reader that combines Mac elegance with smart tools that help you follow news updates efficiently. http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/NetNewsWire
NewsFire is an RSS reader designed with beauty and simplicity in mind. This makes NewsFire attractive, easy to use, and very functional. http://www.newsfirerss.com
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, fully featured, secure, and very functional email client and RSS feed reader. It lets you handle mail efficiently and with style, and Mozilla Thunderbird filters away junk mail, too. http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird
The Opera email client is a slick and flexible interface that will satisfy almost all your email needs, and Opera integrates RSS feeds in this experience as well. http://www.opera.com
Sage improves on Mozilla Firefox's live bookmarks with an RSS feed reader extension that adds better organization and much prettier display. http://sagerss.com
iPhone (All of these are available in the iPhone App Store.):
NetNewsWire 2.0 for iPhone - Mobile RSS Reader in free and premium versions - http://www.newsgator.com/individuals/netnewswireiphone/default.aspx
Manifesto is a popular and powerful RSS newsreader. It costs $2.
Pro RSS Reader costs $1.99 although a free version, Free RSS Reader, is also available, with the main difference being Pro’s ability to handle images and categorize feeds.
Free RSS Reader - As the title suggests, this is a free application. It performs the basics well but does not have all the features of other iPhone RSS newsreaders.
MobileRSS integrates with Google Newsreader, allowing you to keep the two in sync. You never have to read the same article twice. It costs $1.99.
Blackberry:
I do not have a Blackberry device and cannot vouch for these. However, I am told these are the more popular Blackberry RSS newsreaders:
Viigo is free. http://www.viigo.com/home
Litefeeds is free. http://www.litefeeds.com
NewsGator Go! http://www.newsgator.com/individuals/newsgatorgo/default.aspx
If you have a different favorite RSS newsreader, please post a comment at the end of this article so that others may benefit from your suggestion.
