What is an RSS Feed?

"RSS in Plain English" - Created by Common Craft

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds allow you to read through fresh content from your favourite websites, like news headlines, at your own convenience. RSS allows you to see when sites from all over the internet have added new content.

You can get the latest headlines and articles in one place, as soon as they are published, without having to remember to visit each site every day.

Using an RSS reader, you can see the most recent headlines (or other RSS content) from sources. This helps you stay up-to-date by showing you the latest information from sources that interest you.

How do I use an RSS feed?

In order to view our RSS feeds on your computer, you will need to:

Internet Explorer 6.0 or below?
When you attempt to subscribe to RSS feeds, you will see a page of code. Copy the web address from that page, and manually subscribe through your reader service. If you have any questions, contact the MCC Webmaster.

Use an RSS reader. You can use a dedicated news reader , a web-based news reader, or some email programs (i.e. Microsoft Outlook). This is a piece of software that checks RSS feeds and lets you read any new articles that have been added to them. Different news readers work on different operating systems, so you will need to choose one that will work with your computer.

Add feeds to the RSS reader. Once you have chosen a news reader, all you have to do is to decide what content you want to receive in your news reader, by finding and subscribing to the relevant RSS feeds.

Feed readers

There are many different newsreaders. Some are web-based (used through a browser) or are stand-alone desktop applications.
The following is a list of some of the more popular RSS readers:

Google Reader
Very easy to add feeds. Free. Simple layout and easy to understand.
Bloglines
Free. This is web-based and also allows you to publish your own weblog.
Feedreader
Free, desktop download for Windows. Easy, streamlined.
NewsGator
Free, web-based but a separate for-fee product adds desktop downloads for Windows and Macintosh that integrate seamlessly into email clients like Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Entourage and others.
Safari RSS
For Macintosh. Version 1.3 and higher of this free, full-featured browser includes a built-in news reader.
NetNewsWire
For Macintosh, this desktop program has a free Lite version and a feature-rich for-free upgrade.
Opera
Free, full-featured browser (Windows, Macintosh and Linux) has a reader as part of its built-in e-mail program.

Please note that these links are provided solely as a convenience to you and not as an endorsement by Manchester Community College of the contents of the listed third-party websites.