What is RSS?

RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

RSS means Really Simple Syndication. It is a way to distribute a list of update notices, headlines and content to a wide number of people. RSS is a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites, Slashdot, and personal weblogs. It’s an easy way for you to keep up with news and information that’s important to you, and helps you avoid the conventional methods of browsing or searching for information on websites. It is used by computer programs that organize those headlines and notices for easy reading. Most people are interested in many websites whose content changes on an unpredictable schedule. RSS is a better way to be notified of new and changed content. Notifications of changes to multiple websites are handled easily, and the results are presented to you well organized and distinct from email.

How does RSS work?

Author of that particular website maintain a list of notifications. That list of notifications is called an “RSS Feed”. People who are interested in finding out the latest headlines or changes can check this list. Special programming (xml coding) called RSS aggregators (RSS feeds and aggregators are also sometimes called “RSS Readers” and “RSS Channels”) have been developed that automatically access the RSS feeds of websites you care about on your behalf and organize the results for you. Producing an RSS feed is very simple and thousands of websites now provide this feature, including major news organizations.