Feeds, RSS and Aggregators using Bloglines

Class 6

PDF Handout:  class06_rss.pdf

Assignment 5: assignment_05_class06_feeds.pdf

(all handouts open into new window or tab)

Feed?  Web Feed?  News Feed?   RSS Feed?  Syndicated Content?  XML Feed? 

All of the above terms refer to the same thing. A feed is a method for subscribing to frequently updated content, which is published by a website. If a website has a “feed”, it means that you can subscribe to it and receive the updates, whenever that content is updated. The phrase “syndication” refers to the fact that users can subscribe to it. Web feeds give us a new method of publishing and accessing content online. You need a feed reader to view the content.

Web 2.0 brings us new ways of distributing information

Using a Web feed, you can subscribe to a Web page and receive updates whenever the administrator for that page made any changes. With Web 1.0, you needed to go to the Web page each time, to see if there was new content.

What type of content can a feed display?

Web feeds can display links to existing Web pages or files, or display text, images, and embeded videos. Since blogs automatically generate a feed, all of the information on the post is displayed. Podcasts (to be covered later) use feeds, but they usually only bring in the audio or video file.

Really Simple Syndication

A web feed is a text file that is written in the XML language and saved with a .xml extension.  A feed uses either the RSS  or Atom specification, also technically XML languages. Since most feeds use RSS, the term "feed" and "RSS" have become synonymous. 

 The universal icon used to represent a feed

 an icon which represents a feed reader (aggregator) - Bloglines

How a feed works:

The feed (xml file) is stored on the Web server, similar to an HTMl Web page file. The feed contains information that the reader can read and interpret. When you subscribe to a feed, you are submitting the URL of the feed to the reader. The reader checks for updates and displays the new information.

Additional Video: RSS in Plain English - 3:30 min

Lecture Video #1: Feeds, RSS and Aggregators - 8:00 min  

Lecture Video #2: How to Subscribe to a Feed- 8:40 min 

Assignment

Your assignment is attached at the top of this page. You will sign up for an account with a feed reader, preferably Bloglines, and learn how to subscribe to a Web feed.

You will subscribe to the Web feed that I have created for our class lectures (on the FrontPage) and email me a link to one of the posts.

Note: If your aggregator does not have the option to send email, then just email me the title of one of the posts.

This assignment is worth 40 points!