|
|
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.)
Google and Yahoo! both offer free readers. A few sample readers are also offered below for the purpose of evaluation:
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:
|