Getting the information you want with RSS feeds

I have a quick way to stay current on Idaho news. Admittedly, it wouldn’t take long to rotate through a few key websites for local news, but it’s even faster to have fresh headlines delivered automatically to my RSS reader.

Using an RSS reader is an easy way to keep track of new items on specific websites that I am interested in. And with my inbox as cluttered as it already is, I like the fact that email is not involved.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. An RSS-enabled website formats its items into “feeds” that can be interpreted by a program called an RSS reader, a program you install on your computer. After you have selected the feeds you want to monitor, your reader will automatically list new items from those websites for your review.

To get started in the burgeoning world of RSS, you will need an RSS reader. There are dozens to choose from; some are free, and others cost $25 or so to use. Of course, the differences can often be found in the feature set and how fast they work. For example, some integrate with Outlook, which does not appeal to me. Others provide a scrolling ticker tape of new items, which I think would be distracting.

Being new to RSS and also being a cheapskate, I went to www.download.com, and entered the search term “RSS reader.” I looked down the list of possibilities until I found one that many people are using and that is free. I also read the reviews so that I could avoid installing a reader that also delivers a complementary load of pop-ups and adware. I settled on Jyte, which I downloaded and installed on my computer.

I used Jyte’s Find Feeds feature to start monitoring the Regional News and Local News (Boise) feeds from www.ktvb.com. Unfortunately, KTVB is the only RSS-enabled source for Idaho news that I could find, but as RSS becomes more popular, I’m sure that more websites will add the service. Anyway, the feeds from KTVB have been very good.

I also like to keep my thumb on interesting developments in science. In particular, I like www.space.com and news.nationalgeographic.com, both of which are RSS-enabled. I added feeds from those sites also.

Now, when I open Jyte, it presents me with a list of new items that have been posted on any of the three websites I have chosen to monitor. If I click on any item in the list, Jyte will open a browser window so that I can view the original story without leaving Jyte.

As you will have surmised, not all websites are RSS-enabled. However, the number is growing rapidly. The ones that are usually indicate it with an icon labeled RSS or XML (which stands for the underlying format used by RSS). You might check to see if your favorite sites are RSS-enabled. If so, add their feeds to an RSS reader and you won’t have to visit the sites to find out what is new.

Another way to find feeds on topics of interest to you is to check websites like www.feedster.com or www.syndic8.com. Both provide extensive lists of feeds that you can search by keyword.