RSS: part 1
Class outline
A. Introduction
- what is RSS? Wikipedia entry
- current awareness tool, syndication, aggregation
- code example for an RSS file
B. Subscribing to feeds
- web-based feed readers: Bloglines
- client feed readers: list of clients for Windows, Mac, Linux
- built into the web browser: Firefox live bookmarks
- finding feeds to subscribe to: Google Blogsearch, Syndic8, Bloglines search
- finding feeds to subscribe to: go to Google and for example, enter “new york times rss feeds” (without the quotes)
- feeds in our e-journals and databases: American Institute of Physics, Proquest
C. Practical uses
- new book feeds: Univ. of Alberta new books
- library news feeds: Univ. of Alberta RSS feeds
- blogs: Lorcan Dempsey’s weblog
- embedded a saved search in a feed: Yahoo news RSS feeds
- track your library loans & holds: Elf
- follow what someone is bookmarking:
Nicole’s CiteULike bookmarks [feed]
Phil Long’s del.icio.us bookmarks [feed] - track items on Amazon: Amazon RSS feed builder
- listen to podcasts (podcasts are RSS feeds with audio files):
NPR Podcasts, Podcast.net - track a friend’s photos on Flickr: Ryan’s photos
- track items for sale on Craigslist: electronics for sale, [feed]
- some RSS feeds at MIT: Ed Tech Times, MIT News Office, MIT World
D. Further reading
See the RSS section of the bibliography.