Using the internet to Using the internet to keep up & go beyond!keep up & go beyond!

A presentation by Celia Ross

DePaul University Libraries

26 May 2006

RSSRSS: : RReallyeally SSimpleimple SSyndicationyndication

Story is written

Story

is se

nt to

“the

wire”

Papers pick up

‘feed’ off the

wire

Story appears here

Syndication Syndication

Story appears here

HereAnd HereAnd Here

And Here

And Here

Written once

Put on network

Appears in Appears in many many

paperspapers

Just like RSS. Except…Just like RSS. Except…1.The ‘Article or “post” is written (usually on a

blog)

2.The blog automatically creates a “Feed” and makes it available on the web

3.You use a “feed reader” to subscribe to the feed

4.You see updated headlines to your subscribed feeds in your feed reader.

It’s like creating your own customized newspaper!

RSS Syndication RSS Syndication

Article or “post” is written (usually on a

blog)

“Fee

d” is

avai

lable

on

the

web

You use feed

reader to

subscribe to the

feed

Article appears in your feed reader

1. The ‘Article or “post” is written (usually on a blog)

1. The ‘Article or “post” is written (usually on a blog)

2. Blog automatically creates a “Feed” and makes it available on the web

2. Blog automatically creates a “Feed” and makes it available on

the web

Feed subscription buttons Feed subscription buttons look like this:look like this:

2. Blog automatically creates a “Feed” and makes it available on

the web

Clicking on this button brings up the feed.

Do not be frightened by what you are about to see…

Sometimes it looks a little nicer…Sometimes it looks a little nicer…

This is the feed This is the feed address. Highlight address. Highlight

and copy it.and copy it.

The rest of this gobbledygook is The rest of this gobbledygook is the XML code. Look away! Do not the XML code. Look away! Do not

concern yourself with it (unless concern yourself with it (unless your inner geek calls to you)your inner geek calls to you)

3. Use a “feed reader” to subscribe to the feed

•Bloglines (www.bloglines.com) is a free and popular Feed Reader

After Creating your free account, subscribe to the RSS feed by pasting the feed link into the

subscribe window

4. You see updated headlines to your subscribed feeds in your feed reader.

ALL My Feeds

Headlines from my blog. Click to read. You can

customize to see summaries too!

Feed we just

subscribed to

RSS-o-ramaRSS-o-rama

RSS-o-ramaRSS-o-rama

RSS-o-ramaRSS-o-rama

One Final bit of coolnessOne Final bit of coolness

In addition to reading feeds through In addition to reading feeds through a feed reader, you can “syndicate” a feed reader, you can “syndicate” the content to your own website or the content to your own website or intranet.intranet.

Let’s look at bloglines againLet’s look at bloglines again

Some of my finance feeds

One Final bit of coolness (cont.)One Final bit of coolness (cont.)

Now let’s look at these feeds Now let’s look at these feeds syndicated syndicated toto a website (instead of a website (instead of through a feed reader)…through a feed reader)…

One Final bit of coolnessOne Final bit of coolness

One Final bit of coolnessOne Final bit of coolness

You can generate javascript to do You can generate javascript to do this at: this at: http://p3k.org/rsshttp://p3k.org/rss

or or http://jade.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/feed/http://jade.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/feed/

Or try SuprOr try Suprglu: glu: www.suprglu.comwww.suprglu.com to to see all your favorite feeds as one see all your favorite feeds as one webpage (with its own single feed). webpage (with its own single feed). Kinda like this: Kinda like this: celiaross.suprglu.com celiaross.suprglu.com

One Final bit of coolnessOne Final bit of coolness

Now go forth and syndicate !

• Handout with links available at:•http://condor.depaul.edu/~cross5/keepingup.html

(this presentation is also linked from the above site)

•Presentation URL:•http://condor.depaul.edu/~cross5/rss.ppt

Thank you for your time! Please feel free to direct any questions to Celia at cross5@depaul.edu or James Moore at jmoore@depaul.edu