No hiding – I’m a huge fan of RSS.
The only problem I see with RSS right now is that not enough people know what it is and how to use it. What’s worse is so many don’t know why they should be using it.
So I’m always looking for simple explanations and tutorials that can help spread the message of RSS.
Just yesterday I found this short video on YouTube put up by the guys from Sketch Basement. While it’s no where near as entertaining or interesting as the widely spread Common Craft video that went around last year, it’s still a nice tutorial for anyone who wants to begin using RSS. Take a peak (4 mins long):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhI06Tb0FSo
I’d love to know what blog posts, videos, manuals, free ebooks, and audio programs you’ve seen that help explain RSS. Send it forward and I’ll take a look.
And I’d love to know how RSS has changed your business…and your experience of the web.
Ooh, wait a minute. I just found this video. More interesting than the one above. And definitely useful for people who don’t know what RSS is. Thanks to MarketingProfs.
As you can see, I love RSS. So I’m still wanting to hear how RSS has changed the way you’re using the web, how it’s changed your business and what materials you’ve found.
I am a huge, huge fan of RSS as well – and only just started using it not long ago. I finally saw the light.
Why did it take me so long to use RSS? Because everyone talked about it (which made me feel like an idiot because I didn’t know what they were talking about) and no one was telling how to use it.
Amazing how quickly people forget that there are *NEW USERS* on the net every day who barely have a clue how to use their mouse.
Great video for the common non-techie guy. Very simply put.
I love that sketching idea and how simple he made RSS. I’ve been trying to explain it to my clients for a year – and failing at it. I linked to his video and also back to you. Thanks Dawud
James,
Yeah, I definitely think it’s easy to forget where we all came from. Yet, we need to remember to bring new folks along. That’s why I wrote a couple of posts a while back asking questions like: Bloggers, are we just blogging to the choir? and my post, Keeping the Door Open to New and Non-Bloggers – Join the Conversation.
Dining Room,
Thanks. I really appreciated the one from MarketingProfs. Have you found any other RSS resources you thought were useful for the beginner?
MichelleVan,
Sure. Have you seen the Common Craft video? It’s great.
Another big fan of RSS, here. I get a little freaked out when I visit a site and that blue RSS rectangle doesn’t pop up. YOU MEAN I HAVE TO *BOOKMARK* IT?!?
But I’ve given up evangelizing. Some people, they just like the email subscriptions. And, like most things, people will come to RSS when the time is right for them.
However, one of the things I do want to add to my site is a page of “101” resources: stuff I use, and either my own text or links to “[Blank] 101” tutorials. I’ve been saving ’em up on del.icio.us for a while now.
And hey, while we’re on the topic, how do you explain social bookmarking to people? 🙂
I have not applied RSS on my site because so many people don’t know what to do. It has lots of potential but right now there is no pressing need.
I wrote an RSS Tutorial at http://www.wizard-creek.com/rss/tutorial/. The “What is RSS?” Lesson contains several video introductions including the Common Craft one. There are lots of references, and a large collection of RSS buttons.
communicatrix,
Bookmarking is so 2001.
I love the page of 101 resources. Sounds awesome.
As for social bookmarking…I’ll make a post on that this week, hopefully.
cameron,
But what about the people who do know how to use it?
Hey
Thanks for the great resources about RSS. nice videos and explanations for a beginner like myself 🙂
To use RSS it it is very convenient. At me seldom passes day without close use with RSS
My only problem with RSS…
Overkill!
I just don’t know when to quit adding feeds.
Les,
Great resource. I’ll definitely link to it with the RSS resource page I’m creating. Thanks.
Bounce Houses,
Thanks. Sounds like you find it helpful, no?
Terry,
I hear you. I’ve got way too many feeds myself. Yet, I live by my reader and I absolutely love RSS.
Alex103,
Me too. I can’t wait to see the next generation of feeds.
this is the first post I saw which trying to explain what rss is
i’m sorry dawud, I forgot to write the link
http://www.problogger.net/what-is-rss
It is so refreshing to see someone else who appreciates the use of RSS feeds! I am trying to incorporate feeds into many aspects of my site. They are great for readers to get specific material and to promote my site.
international,
Darren’s link is great. I’m such a big advocate. I’ve been thinking about offering a course on it and how to more effectively use it.
Pets for Sale,
Yeah. I see such potential. It really just depends on how technology and data standardization movements like microformats goes.
How else are you using RSS to get info other than tracking news and blogs?
I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am also a big fan of RSS. We are publishing a bunch of RSS, all mixed together, on our Intranet using a web based feed reader. I am considering to set up a web based feed reader on the Internet as well, and publish headlines/intros of my favorite dofollow blogs. Please let me know if you are interested to get your headlines/intros published, of course with links back to your original posts. Just post a reply here.
Yes – RSS is fantastic to eliminate email clutter. I have seen some of the common craft videos before and they all do a wonderful job of explaining some of the more esoteric tools out there.
I think RSS is one of the best ways to get information online. I’ve been using an RSS reader since day one and now use iGoogle to aggregate my feeds all in one nice place!
A site that I am on uses RSS and I didn’t understand it myself! I am glad that I read up on this and understand RSS now. Thanks for the video. I watched it.
Thank you so much! I’ve been feeling like an idiot – here it is 2010 and I still didn’t have a clue about RSS. Maybe by 2020 I’ll know what an iPhone is…
Answering your question: And I’d love to know how RSS has changed your business
Currently we don’t have a RSS channel, probably because content is not updated daily and we don’t write a blog. When we will start it – it will be definitely first thing to add at our website!
RSS is way easier than what people think. In all honesty, until I learned what Google Reader was and what I could do with it, I never understood WHY I needed RSS. Having all my favorite blogs (including this one) in a reader like Google’s simplifies both understanding RSS and my life.
Awesome. Simply awesome. What’s interesting to me is the more I read the more
I find this blog (post) so helpful
Thanks.
that video is true and RSS must be used by all professional web to make it easier to be found by people. without RSS some website may get difficult to know what is update post or not.
I did not know that RSS is really that important. Thank you for this very good explanation that you posted here.