A to Z about RSS
As we have already seen that it is to present a snapshot, in a specified
formatted file, of what you consider most important about your site at the
How to go about it?
As a provider, the first step is to collect the latest news, announcements or any
information you wish to give subscribers. Then you create ‘RSS document’, a
summary of the collected information.
The next step is to register the document with an RSS publisher. Once it is
registered, anyone using an RSS reader can get it from the publisher or directly
from your site.
Understanding RSS Document
An RSS document is made up of ‘items’, comprising a title, a link to the content
and a description of that item. For instance, for a news article, the title will be like
a headline, the link will take readers to the news article and the description will
summarize the news they’ll find on clicking the link to visit your site. The items
are grouped into a ‘channel’ or ‘feed’. This is the name you assign to your
ongoing series of RSS documents.
RSS documents are created in XML, or Extensible Markup Language, which is
fast becoming the markup language for the Web. HTML tags instruct the browser
how to display content (fonts, images or otherwise); XML tags define the nature
of the information. Do not panic! Proficiency in XML is not a prerequisite to create
RSS documents. The non-technical can seek the help of various tools of