As anyone who knows me well, I’m a bit of a news/information junkie. I highly value knowing what’s going on almost all fronts – entertainment, politics, commentary, world events, sports, etc. However, it gets a little difficult to keep up with it all at all times. This is where RSS and RSS Readers/Aggregators come in.
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is basically a syndication protocol that allows websites to give a “news ticker” interface into their content, giving others the chance to get a snapshot of their current content. Various and sundry programs have sprung up around aggregating and presenting RSS feeds and more and more sites are beginning to offer feeds on a daily basis.
I mention all of this because the judicious application of an RSS reader has virtually revolutionized the way I collect information and surf the web. In the past, in order to keep my knowledge current, I have had to visit each and every one of my regular sites in order to check them for updates. This can be (and has been) a tedious and time-consuming task. Now, however, I am able to hit a single “Reload all feeds” button and instantaneously check all of my regular haunts for updates (at least as many of them as offer feeds). Should a particular headline or news snippet catch my eye, I will surf over to the site in question and read the full story. I cannot describe what a blessing this has been.
At the moment, my particular feed reader of choice is Liferea (LInux FEed REAder). Below is a screen cap of my current Liferea window:
If you’re running Linux, you could also check out Straw and Syndigator, both of which are nice. If you’re trapped on, errrrm, committed to Windows, you could use Bottom Feeder, NewsFeed and News Monster (whose site doesn’t seem to be working at this moment…). Mac users, well, y’all can search Freshmeat on your own.
Once you’ve installed your RSS reader of choice, I guarantee that you will begin anxiously scouring each of your favorite sites, straining your eyes to pick out the relevant links to begin feeding your new obsession. Should you fail to find a feed on your gotta-have-it sites, please do not let their webmasters hear your angry snarls and yowls of discontent. Instead, write to them and ask them to kindly get with the 21st century, man.
And hey, while you’re at it, why not start out your link collecting obsession by syndicating lil’ ol’ me? *grin*
Plug O’ The Day: RSS Readers
