RSS or Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary is the latest information management tool that is gradually earning popularity among web users and website owners. With RSS technology, it is possible to get the latest postings from your favorite websites. But clicking on the RSS or XML button in a homepage is not enough to give you the service you need. An RSS feed or code displayed in the pop-up screen if not on the main page is composed of symbols and words that would only make sense to advanced RSS users and computer programmers and software enthusiasts. Another software tool called an RSS aggregator or reader is needed.

An aggregator works by scanning the worldwide web with latest postings based on the RSS code (containing the websites URL) provided or added by the user. When it finds a new posting, news, or update, it will publish the RSS feed on your home page containing the title of the posting, which also serves as a clickable link to the website source. This RSS feed may or may not contain the whole article, a summary, and photos, depending on what RSS aggregator you are using.

Aggregators come in two types: the downloadable program or desktop-type and the online or web-based type. The desktop aggregator usually charges a certain amount for its services; this would include regular updating in the form of upgrades or patches to the original version. This type of RSS reader allows more customization of RSS feeds as well as page format or design over its on-line counterparts. But of course, price can be a drawback.

On-line or web-based aggregators are free of charge. All you need to do is register an account with them then you can start enjoying their services. Depending on the brand of the aggregator, customization is more limited. Some even do not allow you to customize at all.

Product and service advertisers are realizing the potential of RSS aggregators in internet marketing. In fact, several submit RSS codes to several popular web-based aggregators to reach the growing technophile and internet-based market. My Yahoo has been instrumental in popularizing RSS technology to both users and website owners and advertisers.

At present, there are many aggregators to choose from and newer versions of the same aggregator are constantly developed by its programmers.

Below are some of these desktop and online aggregators:

Desktop Aggregators

1. AmphetaDesk

Advantages:

-free

-supports Linux, Mac, and Windows

-easy addition of RSS feeds

Disadvantages:

-not maximized use of screen display

-few options for customizing

2. FeedDemon

Advantages:

-user friendly

-free trial version

-contains prepared popular feeds

-allows filtering of RSS feeds

-configurable watch list to manage junk RSS feeds

-search channel feature that incorporates other RSS services e.g. Feedster

-allows feed storage for future use

-tabbed browsers for channel navigation

-built-in podcast receiver

Disadvantages:

-supports only Internet Explorer (embedded)

-paid software (`$29.95)

Online Aggregators

1. Bloglines

Advantages:

-all major browsers supported (e.g. Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, Firefox)

-user-friendly especially for beginners

-free, web-based aggregator

-easy registration

-no advertisements

-contains its own directory of RSS feeds of thousands of websites

-personal email account for subscribing to newsletter emails (optional)

-allows privacy adjustments for personal blogs

-allows saved searches

-mobile version available

-10 languages supported

-Additional add-on tools for automated blogrolls and subscription buttons

2. NewsGator

Advantages:

-free (consumer-standard version)

-provides personalized news channel

-allows translation of RSS articles into email format

-synchronization of feeds in several devices possible

-browse and search feed capabilities save time on surfing

-allows keyword filtering

-blog headlines

-button-click automatic subscription to news feeds

Disadvantage:

-Outlook-based thus limited to Windows

3. My Yahoo

Advantages:

-Free web-based aggregator

-user-friendly

-customizable home page design

-button-click subscription to RSS feeds

-built-in directory and search tool for feeds

-wide variety of feeds e.g. news (science, technology, local), weather

-connects to all Yahoo features and services

Disadvantage

-banner advertisements

There are also lightweight RSS aggregator extensions which are actually plug-ins to existing internet browsers. An example of which is Sage aggregator.

Advantages:

-free of charge

-beginner-friendly

-reeds both RSS and Atom feeds

-allows feed discovery

-can be assimilated to Firefox bookmark (storage and live)

-allows OPML feed lists imports and exports

-customizable style sheets

-supports a wide range of locales e.g. Catalan, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Polish, Slovenian, etc.

-easy installation

Disadvantages:

-good for about 12 RSS feeds

-limited use to Mozilla-Firefox and Mozilla-Firefox supported browsers

RSS developers promise better features in future versions of their aggregators. Microsoft is planning to include a built-in aggregator in their next Windows version. These developments are definitely something to look forward to by all internet aficionados.

Author: Jeremiah Patton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times

Every so often I take time out of my busy Email Marketing Consulting schedule and steal an afternoon just for myself. A few months ago I decided to take one of those days. With five glorious hours ahead of me I pondered how best to enjoy my break. I really wanted to do something memorable, something that would inspire me and something that would last long after my special day was over. So I did what everyone does on an afternoon off I got a tattoo.

I had never gotten a tattoo before and did not know which shops were the best but I was on an e-newsletter list of a shop called Brave Tattoo. I had joined the list while they were running a contest to win a Harley. I didnt win but stayed on the email list because I was impressed with how creative the tattoo shop was with their e-zine. There was always two or three professionally written articles about tattoos and a whole bunch of tattoo design suggestions. I really looked forward to their bi-weekly e-zine because their e-newsletter approach really communicated their passion for their product and store. I sort of felt like I already knew the shop because of their e-newsletter. This weeks email special was a little odd but it worked perfect for me and I took it as a sign. 21 characters for the price of 20.

I arrived early for my appointment and got all setup with an artist named BeeBee. She was painted from head to toe and had earrings, nose rings and studs everywhere imaginable (she told me about the ones that were not visible and I took her word for it). We got started right away with the cleaning and stenciling. All those needles looked a little unnerving so I turned away and tried to clear my mind of work and everything else I was thinking about.

Just as my first character was about to be stenciled, a rowdy group moved into the booth next to me. Six people. Three of women and two of the men looked like they had just stepped out of a cloning machine. Same clothes, similar hair and similar gestures. The sixth guy was obviously the leader. Dressed in a William Fioravanti suit, this guy looked like a million-and-a-half bucks. His teeth were bleached white and gleaming. His face looked like he had shaven so close he was glowing. He almost looked too perfect or something. Probably due to a fake tan, I thought. I knew I had seen the guy before; he looked really familiar. Oh well, it was my afternoon off and I decided to not waste my time paying attention to Mr. Nice Suit and Super White Teeth. I closed my eyes and let BeeBee go to work.

I must have dozed off because when I came to I already had EMAIL MARKETING FOREVER stenciled on my shoulder. It looked pretty good so far. The little flying envelope was really cute too. BeeBee mentioned that the next step was the point of no return. I eagerly nodded and told her to get going with the permanent ink. We started chatting about my tattoo choice and I told her the history of Email Marketing and how I had chosen to have my tattoo done at their store because of their creative e-newsletter. She told me that a fellow name Buzz took care of all the marketing but he was out on an errand right now.

Throughout our conversation BeeBee and I had to talk louder and louder because of the group in the next booth. It sounded like they were having a party. The five clones must have been the guys groupies because they werent calling him by a name, just his initials. I asked BeeBee who the guy was. Maybe he was a rock star or something and thats why I recognized him.

He is the new cats meow, BeeBee said. I thought cats meow was code for new lead singer in a rock group so I tried to act smart and answered casually, Oh? What club are they playing at? I got really excited at the prospect of getting a tattoo AND meeting a rock star all in the same day. What a great way to celebrate my Email Marketing Forever tattoo! Who knows, this guy might be a great performer. The glowing skin was a little too perfect and Id pass on the groupie thing but who knows where this guy might be in a few years. I got giddy at the thought of meeting Mr. Nice Suit and Super White Teeth and hearing his group.

BeeBee didnt seem to hear my question about the club and started humming Bob Dylans hit The Times They Are A-Changin’. I always liked that song. I hummed along too and decided to go introduce myself to the suit and teeth after my tattoo was done. I would find out the address for the club first hand.

I could hear the clones squealing at the suit and teeths every word. He must be something special to get so much attention, I thought. I closed my eyes and was only half listening but I think they were calling him RSS. I lay there with my eyes closed wondering what RSS stood for.

Ricardo the Super Stud?

Maybe RSS was the short form of his heavy metal band. What could the band be called? All those bands had such weird names. Could it be Rotten Salmon Sushi? Or maybe it was a country band called The Raunchy Smoking Smiths. Who knows. I was only half paying attention because the tattoo needles where starting to sting. I tried to clear my mind and focused on going out clubbing when all this was over.

Suddenly BeeBee stopped humming and looked up from her needles and ink. Buzz, is back from his errand, she reported. You can meet him after hes done getting the catering set up. Catering? What kind of a tattoo parlor was this? BeeBee noticed my query and motioned to the group next door. I think its to keep the groupies quiet so RSS can get his tattoo done in peace, she giggled, earrings swaying to and fro as she laughed.

My mind wandered to thoughts of dancing at the club with my new Email Marketing Forever tattoo permanently sitting on my shoulder. I could hear the clones expressing awe over the tiny sandwiches and little cakes. Then I heard it. There was a lot of sandwich squealing going on but I knew what I heard.

I heard it again. RSS feed me! RSS feed me! Seems Mr. Nice Suit and Super White Teeth, or RSS as they called him, was making the rounds with the cloned groupies and aiding them in tasting all the culinary delights. RSS was tossing crackers and caviar into the open mouths of two of the women. I gagged and quickly realized that I did know this guy. He wasnt a rock star like Bono; he was an Internet rock star! You cant go anywhere without hearing about this guy. The suit and teeth was none other than RSS Marketing! How could I have not recognized him? I guess my MyYahoo! aggregator would have helped but the perfect good looks and groupies should have been a clue.

I took a deep breath, looked to see where BeeBee was at with the permanent ink and said, I think you had better stop.

Email Mark was as far as BeeBee had gotten.

Great, I was now the only person on the planet with a to do list tattooed on my shoulder! Well at least it sort of made sense. My brothers name is Mark so I thought I could make up some little story about how my brother and I had matching tattoos to remind us to keep in contact with each other.

A vision of Johnny Depp and his Wino Forever tattoo raced across my mind. I said a quick prayer to Johnny and asked him if I could join his club of botched tattoos.

I got all bandaged up and went over to the RSS party and introduced myself. The clones looked a little worried but I assured them they could keep all the little sandwiches for themselves. RSS was quite personable and really nice, however I quickly realized the guy had a bit of an identity complex. We were all laughing and joking when RSS whispered in my ear, They all have so many expectations Those bleached white teeth so close to my ear sort of startled me. RSSs voice sounded like the kid who saw dead people in The Sixth Sense.

Who? I whispered back, surprised I was having a whispering conversation with a person I had just met.

Everyone. RSS whispered. He motioned to the clones: They are all marketing executives eager to dump every other kind of digital marketing and ride my back into the RSS Feed golden sunset.

First they blogged me and I thought I was stretched with that. Now they want to personalize me and individualize me. Some of them even want me to pretend Im email and go right into a customers email inbox! RSS sounded a little freaked. I started to think he might need a Valium. What if I they take me all the way into the bedroom and I cant perform? RSS pleaded.

Cute analogy, I thought. Forget the Valium, this guy needed some marketing Viagra just to make sure he could go all the way, regardless of who decides to hop into his digital bed with him.

I finally left the tattoo parlor that day only after RSS Marketing made me promise to email him. We meet quite regularly for coffee and I think he is slowly getting more comfortable with his stardom. He realizes that he probably wont make everyone happy but he is trying his best. Those marketing executives have him going day and night. He was right; some of their expectations are pretty high.

I wonder where RSS Marketing will be a year from now? Will he be washed up with caffeine-stained teeth and a fraying designer suit playing in some Internet bar? Not likely, but will he be around ten years from now with a greatest hits album? Who knows.

I think the bottom line is that personalized digital marketing will progress and RSS Marketing will be part of it just like Email Marketing, Podcasting, Blogging, Text Messaging and everything else savvy marketers are trying. I think most people are being realistic and realizing they have to stock their toolbox with a variety of tools built with their specific customer group in mind. You cant build a marketing strategy with only one tool and RSS Marketing is not the key to everyones fiscal salvation. Should marketers use RSS Marketing? Of course they should. Should marketers dump Email Marketing in the north river with a concrete block around its neck? I guess they can if they want to. But they may find their decision is shortsighted. Just like my Email Mark tattoo, the use of Email is in our bloodstream and getting it out will take more than an RSS Feed transfusion. Why not get smarter and acknowledge the landscape has changed and change Email Marketing accordingly? We did it with TV, magazines and the radio.

Come gather ’round people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters

Around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You’ll be drenched to the bone.

If your time to you

Is worth savin

‘Then you better start swimmin’

Or you’ll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin’.

-Bob Dylan

The last time RSS Marketing and I met he was kind of down as he had pulled another all-nighter. He asked me what he should do if his Internet gig didnt work out. Where would he hide and spend his retirement without living in shame? I told him not to lose another ounce of sleep. If RSS Marketing doesnt work out according to Internet Marketers expectations RSS could fade into the sunset without a care. RSS didnt seem convinced. I assured RSS he had nothing to worry about. If RSS Marketing doesnt meet the expectations of corporate marketers everywhere, everybody will be sending the blame up the Pacific Northwest coast into the misty air of Redmond to Bill Gates, to Microsoft and that new browser of theirs.

Author: Joan Pasay
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty rates

Nothing and a whole lot!

That’s if Microsoft gets it right. First impressions appear to
be very promising and all indications show a much more powerful
RSS system, neatly integrated into the next version of Windows.
Could this finally mean the ‘coming of age’ for RSS?

But what does RSS mean to the average computer user at
this moment in time? Will people get RSS? Does Microsoft
have an education project on their hands with RSS?

Not Really!

Does DOS mean anything to you? If you’re like 95% of
computer users — probably not much. But that doesn’t
stop us from enjoying our computers and fully benefiting
from DOS. Sometimes complete ignorance is bless.

Unless you’re a techie and such technical stuff makes
your heart skip a beat, knowledge of such material is not
really required by the end-user. Fortunately, people don’t
have to understand ‘HTML’ to enjoy the Internet.

Likewise, knowledge of RSS is not important to the
ordinary computer or Internet user. Microsoft’s
RSS Longhorn puts RSS where it rightfully belongs,
in the background, invisible…seamlessly integrated
into your computing and web browsing experience.

It will make RSS an integral element of its new operating
system which has the code-name Longhorn. It will firmly
place RSS into the heart of your computing experience,
enriching and enhancing it in more ways than even Microsoft
is probably aware of yet!

RSS stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’ and it has
long been associated with blogs and blogging because
they are written in RSS or XML format — code like HTML.
DOS stands for ‘Disk Operating System’ by the way
and it’s the platform for operating systems on your
computer. MS-DOS is the most widely used system.
Ignorance can sometimes be overrated.

Microsoft’s announcement of its plans to place RSS features
into its next Windows version, due out in 2006 and in servers
by 2007, is truly groundbreaking . You can read more about
Microsoft’s RSS plans here: Understanding RSS In The Next Windows.

This takes RSS out of just browsers and RSS readers (called
aggregators); and giving it much more powerful applications.
Most interesting is a new set of applications — Simple List
Extensions — allowing web sites to publish feeds containing
lists such as a wish list or top 10 list. Should make David
Letterman happy!

All kidding aside, for you, these RSS applications will
be very beneficial and rewarding. These applications will
make browsing, searching and subscribing to your favorite
information or sites a lot more easier. You can now take control
of your Internet, viewing and accessing the information you
want to digest.

It has many personal and business applications that will
take ‘keeping in touch’ to a new level. Calendars, events,
updates, personal photo albums…can all now be syndicated
with the new RSS platform.

What’s really important about Microsoft’s plans (I believe)
is the fact that this now makes RSS legit. Lets face it,
outside of blogging and a few alert online marketers, RSS is
still not understood by most people.

But as stated before, people don’t have to understand ‘HTML’
to enjoy the Internet. They don’t really have to know about
servers, DOS, or even ISPs to get full benefit from the web.
Likewise, RSS doesn’t have to be known or even understood
by the majority of the people who will be using it.

But it’s helpful that you do understand for you the
future of RSS holds many treats and the full impact won’t
really be known for years. Under the Creative Commons license,
RSS applications could have a far reaching impact on your
computing world of the future.

The potential of RSS is enormous. It may even pave the way
for a ‘Billion Channel Internet’ — where each web site is
its own little broadcasting system. An interactive channel
that broadcasts audio and video to all interested subscribers.

Microsoft’s announcement may just be the nucleus of such
a system. Many components are already in place like podcasting,
broadcatching, data feeds, etc. and its not that great a leap
or too fantastical to imagine such a system will exist in
the very near future.

For RSS changes HOW information is transmitted on the
web…from a passive role to a more pro-active one.
Don’t come to us — we will deliver.

RSS is also one of the more democratic elements of the
web where the little guy has a say. It was more than
fitting that Microsoft’s RSS team met with Dave Winer
(Mr. RSS to those who keep a close watch on all things RSS)
and asked his opinions on these recent developments.

Ordinary Bloggers have preached the benefits of RSS for so
long; the mantra was becoming a tiresome echo across the
web. No one seemed to be taking RSS seriously.

In that light, it can’t be understated that Microsoft’s
incorporation of RSS into Windows is one of those true
‘turning points’ that has to be acknowledged. It does
change how computers and the Internet will work.

This is a great step forward in making RSS an integrated and
seamless component of computers and the Internet.

At last, someone has gotten RSS right.

Author: Titus Hoskins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Wordpress plugin expert

Despite all the hype and fuss surrounding RSS recently, for
the majority of mainstream Internet users, RSS still remains
a mysterious orange button sitting on your web site. They are
totally unaware of this new method of syndicating information
on the web.

This is not necessarily bad news!

For many Internet users are enjoying the benefits of RSS
while remaining totally clueless as to its function or
how it works. Programs like ‘MyYahoo’ and the RSS empowered
Firefox Browser are letting surfers access RSS and enjoy
its major benefits without having any or no knowledge of it.

In the very near future when Microsoft introduces its new RSS
powered Longhorn Browser and operating system – this situation
will hopefully continue. Internet users should be able to enjoy
all the benefits of RSS without having to know what it is!

Users don’t have to know ‘DOS’ or even ‘HTML’ to enjoy the full
benefits of the Internet and their computers. RSS should fall
into this same category. It would quickly bring RSS into the
mainstream without having to overcome a long learning curve.

However, until RSS is blended seamlessly into web sites and
browsers, there remains one major problem with RSS. Most
browsers can’t access the RSS feed directly. When many surfers
click that little orange button on your site, they get a jumbled
code or worst, their browser freezes. Many will depart your site
scratching their heads or saying a few choice words in the direction
of your site. Not a pleasant situation for anyone.

At the heart of the problem, an RSS Feed must be accessed by
aggregators or an RSS feed (news) reader like Newsgator or an
RSS empowered browser like Firefox which has a ‘Live Bookmark’
feature that basically updates your bookmarks or feeds with RSS.
A direct link to an RSS feed just won’t work with most browsers.

Webmasters must fix this problem. You must fix this problem.
You must make your site RSS User-Friendly. You should realize by now,
every web site visitor counts. Besides, its just good net etiquette.

Here are some simple solutions to help alleviate this problem
and make your site more RSS-Friendly:

1. Don’t just place the orange RSS button on your site. Always
include a link ‘What is This?’ beside it. Have this link leading
to a page explaining what RSS is and how your visitors can
access and use it. This has a two-fold benefit; visitors who are
familiar with RSS will know how to use the button, visitors who
are in the dark can get a quick education in RSS 101! Here’s an
example I have on my site.
‘What Is RSS?’.

You are welcome to use this page on your site if you’re pressed for
time. Just copy it and upload it to your site or link directly to it.
It will do in a pinch!

2. As mentioned before some browsers can Automatically discover
or Access your RSS feed. The Firefox Browser is a prime example.
To facilitate or aid in this AutoDiscovery process place a simple
code in the HEAD section of your webpage’s HTML code:

(link rel=”alternate” type=”application/rss+xml”
title=”RSS”
href=”http://www.bizwaremagic.com/blog/atom.xml” /)

Just don’t forget to replace the ( and ) characters with <
and > in your web page code. Also, place in your OWN feed!

3. Of course, many webmasters use many RSS buttons on their site to
guide their visitors in the right direction. For example, placing
a ‘MyYahoo’ button will make it easier for visitors using that
program to access your RSS feeds. Bloglines and MyMSN buttons
are other examples. Some webmasters even design their OWN RSS
button for their sites. Just remember to place your ‘What is This?’
link beside it.

4. However, if your visitor is not using an aggregator or RSS equipped
browser, they will still get the jumbled code that will be puzzling to
them. One way around this problem is to use a free service from Feedburner.com
and have your RSS Feed transformed or presented so that if can be read
in your visitor’s browser. Instead of linking your orange button directly
to your RSS feed, use the Free link from Feedburner in its place. Your web
site visitors will then be able to read your feeds but they will also still
be able to subscribe to your RSS feed.

More information on what this looks like here:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BurnThisRSS2

5. Perhaps, using the same system above, an easier and friendlier
solution to use is a Headline Animator from Feedburner. This will display your
RSS feed headlines on your site in a very User-Friendly way. Anyone wanting
to subscribe to your feed can do so by clicking this Headline Animator. It
will also provide your visitors with information and headlines about your
feed’s content. Plus, it will give them a real sampling of your feed. It will
immediately make your website more RSS-Friendly.

RSS is the wave of the future. It will play an ever increasing role in
how information is exchanged on the web. Make sure your site is RSS
User-Friendly so that you can take full advantage this new technology.
Make sure your site is a pleasant RSS experience for all your visitors,
it will not only put your site in a more favorable light, but it will
also make your site more competitive in a very competitive world.

So for your visitor’s benefit and your own, make your site RSS-Friendly
right now. Don’t delay. Just do it. Your visitors will thank you in more
ways than one.

Author: Titus Hoskins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable pressure cooker

Recently, there have been many developments in the
RSS arena. Changes that will make RSS a major
force on the web and a dominant contributing factor
to your computing experience. Online marketers should
pay special attention to the RSS wildcard in
any future marketing ventures.

If you’re like the average surfer or computer
user (you’re probably scratching your head) what
the heck is RSS? Never heard of it?

‘RSS’ stand for ‘Really Simple Syndication’ and
its original acronym stood for ‘Rich Site Summary’.
RSS is basically just a simple code like xml or
html. Truth be told, many surfers who use the web
every day probably never heard of html either.

However, there is one very important distinction you
should realize about RSS — one fundamental difference
that makes it such a revolutionary element. It changes
how information is transmitted on the web, it sends
out or syndicates a site’s contents. Don’t come
to us, we will deliver.

Surfers can view the contents of your site without
actually having to go to your site! RSS is usually
associated with Blogs and Blogging because Blogs
use RSS Feeds to syndicate its contents.

Why all the fuss? Why is RSS so revolutionary?

Basically, in a very simple and practical way,
RSS changes ‘HOW’ information is exchanged on
the web. It changes how content is accessed,
instead of the surfer visiting websites and
getting the information; with RSS a site’s information
is sent or syndicated to all interested parties.

RSS has the potential to change every website on
the net into its own mini-broadcasting system.
Sending out videos (broadcatching) and audio feeds
(podcasting) to those you have subscribed to receive
this information.

Websites can now go from being a ’static’ force,
just sitting there waiting for visitors to come pay
a visit; to a more pro-active broadcasting force,
sending out content, news and information.
The implications may be enormous and far reaching.

Already, we see some major Internet and Computer
Companies gearing up for the coming RSS revolution!
Perhaps, the most significant and revolutionary is
Microsoft’s Longhorn announcement that the next
version of Windows will have RSS integrated not
only into its browser but also into their operating
system.

This will place RSS firmly into the heart of your
computing experience. It will change how you use
the Internet and it will change how you use your
computer. If that wasn’t enough, Microsoft’s new
list extensions to the RSS standard will be
under the ‘Creative Commons License’.

There is even a group offering $100 million in
RSS venture capital funding. Based in Cambridge,
Massachusetts — RSS Investors will offer funding
in the developing technology of RSS. What’s a
revolution without fuel!
[http://www.news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5778367.html]

Another Internet company you may have stumbled upon
while surfing, is also gearing up for RSS. Google is
already using an xml powered sitemaps system to help
it index the whole Internet. Webmasters, can use xml
to keep their websites constantly updated in Google.

A while back, Google also bought Blogger.com which is
an online blogging system (Personal web logs or journals
where people give their take on the state of the universe
as they see it!) that also takes advantage of syndicated
feeds to distribute its content.

Google is already going ‘head-to-head’ with Microsoft
in the ‘desktop battleground’ with the release of
Google Desktop 2. Google is also finally accepting
the RSS standard by placing it in the Sidebar feature
… users can personalize this sidebar with their own
RSS and Atom Feeds. In the past, the Atom syndication
standard was favored and promoted by Google.

These are just two companies that are gearing up for
RSS. There are millions more who are starting to use
RSS feeds to broadcast their message, product or content.
RSS is a marketer’s dream. The opportunities to advertise,
promote and sell your products with RSS are endless.
More and more businesses are just realizing the enormous
potential of RSS. Real estate, insurance, tourist industry…

So what about you? Do you run a website? Are you geared
up for RSS? Are you taking advantage of RSS?

If you haven’t joined the RSS bandwagon, don’t worry, this
revolution is very easy to join. Here’s a few quick pointers.

First, set up a blog and RSS feed for your site. This
can be done within a few minutes with a no-cost system
like Blogger.com which is owned by Google. You can even
host this blog on your own site. Another system that
offers more options is the free ‘wordpress’ blogging system.
Find more out about it here: http://www.wordpress.org

But blogs are just one area of RSS, make sure you have
Google Sitemaps set up on your site. If you need help
with this procedure click here:
http://www.bizwaremagic.com/Google_Sitemaps_Explained.htm

There are other simple and easy ways to use RSS on your
site. Tags, content feeds, RSS search… Click here for
further help on the different ways you can use RSS
on your site: http://www.ezinearticles.com/?id=14366

Get your site ready, don’t delay. The RSS revolution is
already started.

Microsoft and Google are just two companies that are taking
advantage of RSS. You should follow their lead and start
gearing up your site for RSS if you haven’t already. The
benefits are enormous and the consequences of not having or
using RSS could be crippling to any online concern. With or
without you, RSS will change the web and the way we use our
personal computers. However, this is one revolution you
definitely should consider joining. The stakes are just too
high and besides, what’s a revolution without you?

Author: Titus Hoskins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Pressure cooker

The recent Forrester Research study, which claims that only 2% of online households in North America use RSS, took the internet marketing world by storm. Does this data really mean that marketers can still afford to ignore this channel?

Soon after the Forrrester study became public, I received a press enquiery asking whether marketers should be interested in RSS now that so few online adults use it.

Is this the correct question to ask? Lets take a look at the bigger picture

1. THE FORRESTER STUDY VALIDITY

The Forrester study is just one of those available and cannot be considered as the only relevant study, although it was conducted on a sample of 68,000 households.

Jupiter Research estimates RSS penetration at 12% of the American online population, while the latest report from PEW shows that 9% of the American online population has a good idea of what RSS is. An October 2004 PEW study actually estimated RSS penetration at 5%.

It is also important to understand that Forrester data does not include those that might not even be aware they are using RSS, especially through services such as My.Yahoo, which is actually the most popular RSS reader.

Also, at the same time, Forrester Vice President Henry Harteveldt says that RSS is critical for any organization that wants to reach out to people under the age of 30.

2. THE FUTURE GROWTH OF RSS

Regardless of the numbers we put our faith in, the future growth of RSS is without question. Microsoft just recently announced full RSS support in the next edition of their Internet Explorer browser and full RSS integration in the next edition of their operating system, the Windows Vista.

Once RSS becomes easily available to most internet users out-of-the-box and becomes as widely spread as bookmarks, its adoption will grow at an incredible rate. Microsoft has now made sure this in fact will happen.

Consequently, the time for marketers to not only become interested in RSS but also master it is now. Those that test and discover the best possible ways of using RSS for marketing will be ahead of their competition once everyone starts using RSS.

Furthermore, since RSS implementation can actually be free of any charge, theres no reason not to start providing your content in RSS feeds now.

3. GOOGLE SHOWS THE WAY

Microsoft and Yahoo! arent the only big players to show support for RSS. Google recently launched RSS advertising as part of their Google AdSense program, giving publishers reason to start their own RSS feeds to generate direct revenues.

Those that depend on Google AdSense for part or all of their online revenues actually need to provide RSS feeds, or stand to lose some of those revenues due to their visitors switching to sites and feeds from their competitors.

Face it, today many users are already starting to request publishers provide them with RSS to subscribe to their content. This trend will only continue, with many users selecting RSS as their primary channel of receiving and reading online content.

4. THE QUESTIONABLE RELIABILITY OF E-MAIL

All marketers today are experiencing e-mail delivery problems, constantly wondering whether their messages are getting through or not. Simply put, e-mail can no longer be relied on.

For one, offering your content via RSS as a supplement to e-mail will help you make certain that at least a portion of your visitors, those that decide for the RSS option, will be receiving all of your content without any doubt.

Lockergnome.com decided to start pushing RSS instead of e-mail some time ago, and as a result saw that their RSS feeds are outperforming e-mail when it comes to clickthrough rates for about 500%. Also an interesting fact, they today have 5 times more RSS subscribers than e-mail subscribers.

And two, for your most important content updates, RSS really is becoming a must, especially if you need to be in contact with your existing customers, partners and other key audiences. If you want to be 100% certain that your messages reach your audience, RSS is the way to go.

5. OTHER BENEFITS OF RSS

But all of the above dont even touch all the reasons why marketers should start using RSS today

a) RSS will help you generate additional traffic and reach new audiences. Considering the low cost of RSS implementation, this is reason enough to get started with RSS today.

b) RSS helps you to easily get your content published on other sites, thus generating you more credibility and visitors.

c) As a publisher you can use RSS to display content from other sources, thus making your site more relevant and interesting to your existing visitors.

And the list goes on and on.

RSS may not be mainstream yet, but it provides enough advantages even today to make it a must-choice for marketers.

Copyright 2005 Rok Hrastnik

Author: Rok Hrastnik
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cool mobile gadgets

RSS is fast becoming an obsession for me. I didn’t
plan for it to be that way. It just happened.

I have been interested in RSS for a couple of years now
but it was only around this time last year that I started
taking a serious look at this little syndication standard
that’s changing how we communicate on the web. Really
Simple Syndication. Simple phrase but it changes everything.

I figured what better way to get to know a subject than to
write about it. Going through the vast resources of the Internet,
blogs, forums, ebooks to collect what information I needed for
my ebook and articles. The Internet is one huge storehouse of
knowledge that more than supplied me with enough material to
write a hundred articles.

Coming from a fine art background, I also knew the only way
to really learn about a subject was ‘hands on’ experience.
So at the same time I started to really implement RSS tactics
on my own sites to get ‘first-hand’ evidence to prove or back
up my articles and writing. I concentrated on website RSS
techniques that worked with the major Search Engines; starting
my own blogs and RSS feeds to enhance my sites and manipulating
the search engines, feeding the spiders with very legit content
to build targeted traffic to any keyword or market sector I
wanted to promote.

Experiences that have opened my eyes wider than they have been
since kindergarten and RSS is still surprising me at every turn.
Only after I had started researching and writing about RSS did
it dawn on me that I had no idea just how Big a Player RSS is
becoming and will become in the very near future. The impact
will be felt in all areas of the web.

At the beginning of last year I wrote a simple article,
10 Reasons to Put RSS On Your Site. In that article
I stated that this year would be the Breakout Year for RSS…
the year RSS would finally enter the mainstream.

Since that article, during this year, there have been many
developments for RSS. Some of the major ones:

Google Blog Search Which now opens up the whole area of blog
content and feeds to the one search engine that counts. Google
also finally embraced RSS despite its major investment in the
other syndication standard — Atom. Google bought Blogger.com
a while back which promotes the Atom feed.

Microsoft’s Longhorn Statement The next version of Windows will
have RSS. This will open up RSS to the mass market. This will put
RSS center stage for computer and Internet users.

Google Sitemaps This XML powered system lets you update and
quickly index your site’s pages in Google.

Podcasting The enormous popularity of sending audio files or
podcasting is opening up a whole new audience for RSS.

Media RSS This will permit the syndication of all types of media,
including video and TV programs through RSS, further opening up RSS
to becoming a broadcasting system for the Internet.

RSS Search MSN, as well as other search engines, makes it possible to
search RSS feeds for the information we need.

Mozilla Firefox Browser This RSS powered browser with its ‘Live
Bookmarks’ is proving very popular with surfers. It also proves you
really don’t have to know a thing about RSS to enjoy its benefits
– it can be seamlessly integrated into the background or operating
system with the end-users oblivious to even the existence of RSS.

Commercial RSS Then there is the whole potential of RSS ads and
advertising which would commercialize RSS and bring it into play by
large corporations who are mainly interested in the bottom line.

Not to mention all those orange XML or RSS buttons popping up on
website after website. RSS is taking on a life of its own, gaining in
popularity and growing in strength. RSS is becoming a force that
has to be reckon with by every webmaster.

How about you? Is your site RSS ready? Are you taking advantage of
RSS? Are you using RSS?

This is a gentle warning that you will start using RSS if you haven’t
already and here’s why… if you want your site to remain truly
competitive you must have RSS on it. Without RSS you will be losing
visitors and traffic to RSS empowered sites. You will be losing
traffic to sites that are targeting keywords with blogs and feeds.
You will be losing traffic to those sites using the XML powered Sitemaps.
You will be losing traffic to sites that are RSS User-Friendly and
fully optimized for RSS.

You must have an RSS User-Friendly site if want your site to be
competitive. Just ask yourself, when the next Windows browser
comes online, how competitive will your site be without RSS? What
role will RSS play in getting visitors and repeat visitors
to your competitor’s website? How much more effective will your
competitors be with RSS on their sites?

Webmasters should be gearing up now for RSS, if they haven’t already.
You have to prepare your sites for RSS. You have to position your
sites to take full advantage of the coming RSS revolution! Take
advantage of Google’s Sitemaps, Blog Search, Media RSS, Next RSS
powered Windows…

Get Ready. Prepare your site.

RSS is not only changing the rules, it is changing the whole ball game.
RSS will transform the Internet. RSS will play a bigger and bigger role
in the success or failure of your website.

Proceed without RSS at your own risk.

Author: Titus Hoskins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Hybrid and Electric Cars

If you’re wondering how to get started with RSS marketing, here’s a basic 7-step plan that should provide some needed guidance. Use these steps as your personal RSS marketing checklist to get your started and help you see whether you’re on the right track.

1. START USING RSS AS AN END-USER

The first step to getting started with RSS marketing/publishing is getting your own RSS aggregator, subscribing to other RSS feeds and just seeing and understanding how it all works.

There’s a variety of RSS aggregators to choose from. Just a small sample:

a) Web-based RSS aggregators (websites): http://my.yahoo.com, http://www.pluck.com, http://www.newsgator.com, http://www.bloglines.com

b) Desktop RSS aggregators (software): http://www.awasu.com, http://www.bradsoft.com/feeddemon/, http://www.stevenwood.org/stories/2003/06/08/voxLite.htm

c) Integrated RSS aggregators (integrate with IE or Microsoft Outlook): http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ (browser with integrated RSS features), http://www.newsgator.com, http://www.pluck.com, http://www.attensa.com/index.php?ys=1

2. PLAN YOUR RSS FEEDS

Planning your RSS feeds might be the most important thing you do about RSS. You most certainly need an RSS feed for your e-zine, your news section, your articles etc.

But how you will package these, what others you might want to offer and other important issues, are much more complex than we can cover in this space. A precise overview of all of the opportunities is available in the “Unleash the Marketing and Publishing Power of RSS” e-book at http://rss.marketingstudies.net?src=sa13

You might also want to do follow-up (autoresponder) RSS feeds, feeds for your affiliates, feeds for your employees or business partners, feeds for the media, and so on.

3. CREATE A LIST OF RSS MARKETING/PUBLISHING REQUIREMENTS

Then create a list of requirements for the RSS marketing/publishing solution you will be getting to publish your feeds. The list should answer the basic questions, such as:

a) Do you want to integrate RSS publishing with your existing content management system?

b) What RSS metrics you’ll want to watch? For example, are you satisfied with just a rough idea of how many people are reading your RSS feed, or are you interested in more precise subscriber counts, clicks and even individual content item popularity?

c) Do you need feed personalization, such as personalizing your RSS content with the receipient’s name and other details?

d) Do you want to provide your subscribers with the ability to precisely select the content they want to receive in your RSS feed (customization), such as by content topic, keywords, authors and so on?

e) Do you want the RSS feeds to be hosted on your own server?

f) Do you need the ability to target promotional messages or other content to your individual RSS feed subscribers, for example based on their previous clicks and reading habits, or even their subscription data?

g) What’s your budget?

h) Etc.

More information on all the different possibilities provided by RSS is available in the free Business Case for RSS report at http://rssdiary.marketingstudies.net/case/index.html?src=sa13

4. CHOOSE AN RSS PUBLISHING TOOL AND CREATE YOUR FIRST FEED

After you’ve prepared a list of requirements you can start searching for the appropriate tool. These come in a few general categories:

a) Desktop feed generation tools

Desktop software you can use to inexpensively, quickly and easily generate RSS feeds, but doesn’t allow for more advanced features such as content targeting. The market leader in this category is http://www.feedforall.com.

b) Hosted online RSS publishing solutions

If you don’t want to be bothered with a desktop tool and having to constantly upload your RSS feeds to your server, you could try a basic hosted online RSS publishing solution, such as http://www.myrsscreator.com. Using their simple service you don’t even need your own website to publish via RSS. Another good choice, especially if you’re in PR, is http://www.press-feed.com/

c) Advanced RSS marketing solutions

These will cover more advanced RSS marketing capabilities, such as metrics, scheduled autoresponder messages, database building capabilities and similar. The strongest contenders in this market are http://www.simplefeed.com, http://www.nooked.com, http://myst-technology.com and some other strong players as well. Solutions aimed especially at smaller companies include [http://www.rssautopublisher.com] and http://www.market-soft.com/bypass/

d) Other options

There are many other options as well, one for example being using your existing content management system to publish RSS feeds, or using a blog publishing solution such as http://www.movabletype.com

5. PROMOTE YOUR RSS FEEDS THROUGH YOUR OWN CHANNELS

a) Create an RSS presentation page, on which you explain: what RSS is; how the visitor will benefit from using RSS; where they can get a free RSS aggregator (recommend one yourself!); how they can subscribe to your RSS feeds; and why they should subscribe to your own RSS feeds.

Then, on this same page, include the links to all of your RSS feeds. In addition to the standard orange RSS button, also include direct links for subscriptions via MyYahoo! (get it here http://my.yahoo.com/s/button.html) and other relevant services, such as Bloglines (http://www.bloglines.com).

b) Now promote this RSS presentation page as much as you can using all of your available channels.

c) Promote your RSS feeds directly below your e-zine subscription box, and always “above the fold”. Promote your RSS presentation page (telling your visitors that’s where they can subscribe to your feeds) on the most prominent locations of your site.

d) If you’re publishing more than one RSS feed, but rather a couple of focused topic feeds, promote each of them next to their topics on the site.

e) Promote your RSS feeds in all of your e-mail messages and e-zine issues.

f) As for the content, don’t just say “Subscribe to receive news from my site”, but rather prepare compelling copy to specifically show your visitors why they need to subscribe to your content in the first place and why they should subscribe specifically to your RSS feeds.

e) Enable Auto-discovery

Just include the following piece of HTML code in the section of your webpages and you’ll be all set:
link rel=”alternate” type=”application/rss+xml” title=”RSS” href=”ENTER_RSS_URL”

6. PROMOTE YOUR RSS FEEDS THROUGH EXTERNAL CHANNELS

a) Submit your feeds to the appropriate search engines and directories. A good list can be found here: http://www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55/

b) Ping the RSS aggregation sites each time you update your online content, letting them know that new content is available to be indexed. You can use this free service: http://pingomatic.com

7. OTHER KEY RSS ACTIVITIES

a) Measure and optimize your feeds

b) Syndicate your feed content to other web media

c) Display third-party RSS feeds on your site

Copyright 2005 Rok Hrastnik

Author: Rok Hrastnik
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Smart cooker

For those who have been eagerly anticipating the release of Wordpress 2.7, it is getting closer and closer. For those of you dreading a new release, let me say I am with you. I finally got around to installing the latest build of Wordpress 2.7 and let’s just say this is not going to make a lot of people happy.

First off is the dashboard setup.

If you didn’t care for the way the screwed things up going from 2.3 to 2.5 let me say, you are going to hate these changes even more.  I am unsure what kind of mentality actually is going on here.  It is like they have brought in design consultants from the auto industry and Microsoft who said ’screw with the way it looks and the general layout of everything, if we confuse the user with something shiny and new we can blame any problems on operator errors’.  Thankfully Wordpress doesn’t charge for tech support or we would all be fucked.

They get an F for the new radical design.  Design shifts need to be gradual during the same version release.  This is the kind of thing you implement between version 2 and 3 or 2,3, and 4.  I will save the rest of the grade when they finally release it.  Unless you are a masochist I really suggest you avoid downloading it today.