RSS: An Efficient Way to Explore the W.Va. Web
Written by Jason Keeling on July 4, 2007
If you spend significant time on the Internet and you’ve not learned to use RSS (Really Simple Syndication), you may want to familiarize yourself. Remember when you first learned to use a Web-browser, the most common being Internet Explorer or Netscape? It may have taken some time to get used to, but after you got the hang of it, you likely found the Web-browser to be an excellent means of locating online content.
The same is true of RSS, but with a significant advantage. Instead of having to take the time to manually visit separate Web sites for updated content, you can have Web sites send information directly to you via RSS. So what do you have to learn? Two things. First, you have to set up a free account with a new type of Web-browser, which is called an Aggregator. You can easily set up a Bloglines or NewsGator account.
A ‘Really Simple’ Time-Saver
Once you’ve set up an Aggregator account, there’s only one more step: copying and pasting a Web site’s RSS Feed. Wait, don’t freak out, it is “really simple.” Note the orange image above. When you see this image on a site, you’ve found the RSS Feed. Simply scroll over it, then right-click, and select “copy link.” You then paste this link into your Aggregator, and when updated the site’s content will automatically be sent to your Aggregator. In essense, this Aggregator becomes your Web-browser, but the content will now be sent directly to you, versus you having to search for site updates.
Let’s say you want to be notified when aBetterWestVirginia is updated, you can subscribe via email (which is easiest). But if you want to expand your techie skills using RSS, then simply scroll over the greenish RSS icon below “Subscribe,” then right-click, then “copy link,” then paste the link into your Aggregator.
RSS Feeds for W.Va. Sites
RSS is particularly helpful if you regularly search multiple Web sites. In West Virginia, you can subscribe to RSS feeds for blogs such as Marketing Genius, AP Reporter Lawrence Messina, Create West Virginia, Sen. Vic Sprouse, and online news from West Virginia Public Broadcasting and The State Journal.
Posted in Media, West Virginia
content rss
July 17th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Hello,
My name is Roch Smith, Jr. I just launched a web site that allows people to find and read blogs by city. Will you add your blog? It’s free and legit.
Check it out: http://www.We101.com
You can add your blog here: http://www.we101.com/addblog.php
Cordially,
Roch Smith, Jr.
http://www.we101.com
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
[...] If the company responsible for the aBetterWestVirginia blog can maintain the project’s momentum, we hope to expand the depth of authors and increase the frequency of posts as the year progresses. For now, check back once a week for new content, or feel free to sign up for automatic update notifications via email or using the site’s RSS feed. [...]