What is it?
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) or, less commonly, Rich Site
Summary, is an integral part of Microsoft's forthcoming Internet
Explorer 7 web browser and Windows Vista operating system, but it
is also widely used for aggregating updates to blogs and news
sites. IBM calls it "an XML-based format for syndicated
content".
According to the RSS 3.0 homepage, "It is a way to broadcast
online content's meta data via the internet, thus letting
webmasters inform users who read the RSS feed of changes in their
site (updates, news, new links etc) or inform applications of
changes in a service."
It has also been called "a mini-database containing headlines
and descriptions of what is new on your site". A contributor to
O'Reilly.com has described RSS as "the most widely deployed web
service across the internet".
Where did it originate?
RSS began as a Netscape project to create a format for building
portals for news sites. The first version, 0.9, was thought to be
unnecessarily complex. Version 0.91 was simpler, but Netscape
dropped it and it was taken on by UserLand Software. A breakaway
group developed a version based on RDF (Resource Description
Framework), called RSS 1.0. However, the true successor to RSS 0.9x
was RSS 2.0.
What is it for?
From the content originator's point of view, it is "a
free-and-easy way to promote a site and its content without the
need to advertise or create complicated content sharing
partnerships".
What makes it special?
Microsoft has said it will rationalise and extend RSS to make it
more effective, easier to use and suitable for a wider range of
applications by, for example, adding support for ordered lists.
How difficult is it to master?
RSS is straightforward for those who already know XML. You can
use a simple text editor, or a variety of tools, some of them
available free.
www.allrss.com/rsseditors.html
Where is it used?
There is a long way to go before RSS becomes universal.
Research firm Nielsen//NetRatings found that just 11% of blog
readers use RSS to sort through new content. Only 5% use feed
aggregation software, and 6% use a feed aggregating website to
monitor RSS feeds from blogs. Some 23% understood RSS but did not
use it, and 66 % either did not understand the technology or had
never heard of it.
However, the Nielsen report said, "RSS feeds deliver relevant
posts quickly, in a customisable, easy to manage format. These
types of services provide marketers with an additional avenue to
tap a captive audience for time-critical offers. Since the
customers themselves pick the content they will receive,
advertisers are able to deliver their message within a context they
know will engage their target audience."
What is coming up?
Microsoft has pledged to support all forms of RSS in Internet
Explorer 7 and the forthcoming Windows Vista operating system,
including the 0.9x standards, which are still widely used, as well
as RSS 1.0 and 2.0. Beta versions of Internet Explorer 7 and Vista
are available on Microsoft's website. Details of RSS 3.0, the
proposed successor to RSS 2.0, can be found at
www.rss3.org/main.html
Demand
Few adverts request RSS skills as yet, but there is huge
potential and it will become a required skill for Microsoft support
and development.
Training
You will find plenty of free web tutorials, but make sure you
get the right version. Try, for example, "RSS - a primer for
publishers and content providers", which includes real-life
examples from the BBC.
www.eevl.ac.uk/rss_primer