About HUDs RSS

What is RSS?

RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is an easy way to keep up with your favorite news and information. An RSS feed contains headlines, summaries and links to full news stories on www.hud.gov. Since you do not view RSS content through a browser, you will need an RSS reader.

What are RSS Readers?

RSS news readers are small software programs that aggregate RSS feeds and display the story information. They allow you to scan headlines from hundreds of news sources in a central location.

How Do I Use These Feeds?

The first step, as described below, is to choose an RSS reader. Each reader has a slightly different way of adding a new feed (also called a "channel"). In most cases, here's how it works:

• Click on the small XML button near the channel you want (HUD's news RSS Feed, for example). You'll see a page displaying XML code.
• From your browser, copy the URL that appears in your Address Bar
• Paste that URL into the 'Add New Channel' section of the reader. You should be all set! The RSS feed will start to display and regularly update the headlines for you.

Where Do I Get an RSS Reader?

A wide range of RSS readers can be easily downloaded from the Web. Some readers are Web-based while others require you to download a small software program onto your desktop. Most are free to use. (Several readers require Microsoft's .NET framework on your computer. They may be slightly more complicated to install if you do not have .NET.)

• Awasu -- (Windows)
• Bloglines -- (All OS, browser-based)
• Amphetadesk -- (Windows)
• RSS Reader -- (Windows .NET)
• NetNewsWire -- (Mac OS X)

Where Can I Learn More about RSS?

There are a range of articles about RSS available online. The Lockergnome Web site offers a beginner's tutorial; extended RSS resources are available from Radio Userland. Here are a few additional resources:

• An informative RSS article from the Online Journalism Review
• What is RSS? from IBM Developer Works
• A technical RSS tutorial from the Utah state government