RSS feeds make it unbelievably easy for you to stay on top the latest updates to all of your favorite websites - all you need is a Feed Reader with which to subscribe to those websites’ feeds. Simply set up your Feed Reader with all of your subscriptions, and start reading. Every time you open up or log into your Feed Reader, you’ll see all the latest headlines from your subscriptions. If you’re not familiar with what RSS is and how it works, we suggest you read through “A non-technical explanation of RSS” for a brief introduction to the technology, then return here to get all the info you need to start reading feeds.
Basics of Feed Reader software
A Feed Reader is software that maintains a list of news feeds that you subscribe to, and regularly downloads the latest headlines from those feeds for you to read. There are a few different types of feed readers available; the type we’ll be discussing in this article is the web-based feed reader. A web-based feed reader is a website that allows you to log in and read your news feeds through your web browser. Another type of feed reader is the desktop feed reader, which is software that you install on your own PC to download your news feeds. Desktop feed readers are a topic for another article.
Web-based feed readers
Web-based feed readers present your news feeds to you through a website. Typically, you open up your web browser, enter the URL (address) of the feed reader’s site, and then log in with a username and password. One very powerful aspect of web-based feed readers is that they are independent of the computer you are using. You can log into your web-based feed reader and catch up on all of your RSS subscriptions from any computer with an Internet connection. Once you’re logged in, you can read and manage your subscriptions. Here are 5 popular web-based feed readers:
Subscribing to RSS via web-based feed reader, method 1: bookmarklets
Many web-based feed readers have a “bookmarklet” that you can drag to your browser’s toolbar to enable one-click subscriptions. To subscribe to the site you’re looking it, click on the bookmarklet. Nothing more, nothing less.
Subscribing to RSS via web-based feed reader, method 2: chicklets
Many web-based feed readers have a streamlined process for subscribing to feeds that allows webmasters to create special links that subscribe you to their site’s RSS feed with one click, and a quick confirmation. These links usually appear in the form of “chicklets” — tiny graphical buttons with the logo of your feed reader on them. Click on a chicklet, and you’ll subscribe to that site’s RSS feed through your web-based feed reader. A handful of chicklets can be seen in the Of Zen and Computing sidebar, to the right.
Subscribing to RSS via we-based feed reader, method 3: manual input
Web based feed readers will also let you subscribe to a feed by entering that feed’s URL. To get the URL, click on the orange RSS icon. When the feed loads in your web browser, copy the URL from the address bar of your web browser.
Once you’ve got the URL to the feed, you just need to give it to your feed reader. What follows are instructions for subscribing to news feeds with the web-based feed readers mentioned above.
Bloglines
Click on “Feeds”, then click the “Add” link right below the “Feeds” tab. Paste the feed URL into the box labeled “Blog or feed url” and hit submit. On the next page, you’ll be able to put your feed into a folder (if you have folders set up), and then confirm your subscription.
GritWire
Log into GritWire and click on the “Add” link in the menu bar of the “SpeedFeed Reader” window. Click on “RSS Feed”, and paste the URL of the feed into the box that appears.
Google Reader
Log into Google Reader and click the “Add Subscription” link in the green box to the left. Paste the feed URL into the new box that appears, and hit submit.
NewsGator
Log into NewsGator, click on “Add Feeds” underneath the NewsGator logo, then click on the “URL & Import” tab. Paste the feed’s URL into the box labeled “Feed URL”, select a folder (if you want) and hit the “Add Feed” button.
Rojo
Log into Rojo and locate the “show options” link underneath the “Rojo” logo on the left. Click on “show options”, then paste the feed URL into the box labeled “Add a feed”, and hit the “Add” button.
Found a better reader?
Have you found a web-based feed reader other than the ones we’ve outlined in this article? If so, let us know what it is and why you like it by e-mailing bliss AT ofzenandcomputing dot com.
