Everything
FeedReader
- What is an RSS Feed?
- What should I use for RSS Feeds?
- What are some FeedReader sources?
- How do I subscribe to a feed?
- How do I view or read a feed?
- How do I managing all my feeds?
What is an RSS Feed?
An RSS Feed, or Really Simple Syndication Feed, is a syndication format that is typically used by news sites and blogs in order to provide immediate access to new articles or posts. This means that once a change is made to a site that a user is subscribed to, you will be able to view the site changes as they occur.
For example, you may have several sites that you wish to check for updates. Instead of having to go directly to those sites to pull the information up, the information on the updates is pushed to you through the RSS Reader you use. The RSS Feed will allow you to view all updates at once.
Likewise, a RSS Reader can be used by you to allow subscribers (e.g. your students) to view the updates to your blog or site.
What should I use for RSS Feeds?
Follow the steps below to subscribe to an RSS Feed and manage feeds through the use of FeedReader. FeedReader is the news reader supported by BVU because of its ease of use and friendly interface.
- To install FeedReader, open the My Computer folder and go to the M: Drive (Winapps) and open the RSS folder.
- Double-click to run the FeedReader installer.
- You may also install FeedReader from the website: http://www.feedreader.com
What are some FeedReader sources?
There are several sources that you can use when trying to find a blog or newsfeed to which to subscribe. Technorati is one of the most popular blog indexes. This online directory of blogs allows you to search by title, date, content, etc. Using a blog index like Technorati will help make sure you are downloading feeds that are relevant to your search.
Visit the Technorati website at http://www.technorati.com/ for more information.
How do I subscribe to a feed?
To subscribe to a feed, you will need to open FeedReader.
- Simply double-click on the icon on your Desktop.
- The FeedReader tray will then open.
- In order to add a feed, simply look on the site to which you want to subscribe. Most sites will have a link to the RSS Feed or will have an icon indicating that it is compatible with RSS Feeds.
- Right-click the RSS Feed icon and select Copy Link Location.
- In the FeedReader window, click the New button.
- The URL should be automatically placed within the Add Feed field (if not, paste it in), press OK.
- Your feed will then show up under All News.
How do I view or read a feed?
If there are unread updates within the feed, the name of the feed will be shown in bold. To view updates, simply click on the name of the feed and it will appear in the feed window.
Many times updates will be viewable within the browser. If you wish to view a certain update in your browser, simply select Open in browser.
- If you want your feed to open in your browser by default or want it to start running at start-up, go to the Tools menu, then select Options.
- From the Options window, adjust the default orders FeedReader has.
- You may need to play around with it for a while before finding a set up that is best for you.
How do I managing all my feeds?
There are several different ways to manage your feeds while working with FeedReader.
- Go to the File menu and select the Manage Feeds option with the RSS Feed icon right next to it.
In the window that pops up, you will be able to change various things about the feed.
- You may change the Feed Name, URL, etc. While in this window, you may also change the Archive size, or in other words, how far back you want updates to be viewable.
- When your changes are made, make sure to click the Update feed button so that the changes are saved.
- Once it is updated, click Cancel to return to the main FeedReader screen.
- You may also change how your updated feeds show-up or how they are arranged on the screen by clicking one of the options under View.
- Under the View menu, you will be able to sort groups by Date, Tag, and Source.
- You will also be able to do other things, such as change the layout of FeedReader and choose how your feeds are ordered.
Note: The BVU supported blogs on Roller are automatically compatible with RSS Feeds.