What Is RSS?

Have you noticed those little orange RSS or XML buttons around on some web pages?

It's "the next big thing" -- you can use it to get news feeds from CNN or BBC, as well as just about anything else, including news on the stock market, your favorite travel destinations, etc.

Once you get started, it's like having your favorite parts of the Web come to you. Pros:

• No need to give out your email address.
• No spam.
• It's easy to subscribe and unsubscribe.
• Info of your choice comes to you effortlessly.

"RSS" means "Really Simple Syndication." But that is just a fancy way of saying that you can keep up with all the updates to Inspired Personal Development without having to check the site every week to see "what's new." Whenever I put up a new page or update an old one, I release it through RSS.

How do you get started? Take your pick of two easy ways:

1. If you don't want to download any new software, this is the step to take. Yahoo!, MSN, and Google have fantastic, one-step solutions. Just click on one of the links below...

   Add to My Yahoo!
   

   
   Add inspired-personal-development.com RSS to your "My Yahoo!"

   Add To My MSN
   
   Add inspired-personal-development.com RSS to your "My MSN"

   Add to Google
   
   Add inspired-personal-development.com RSS to your "My Google"
   

2. Download a free RSS Reader. This is special software that reads the "RSS feeds" from the largest news organizations right down to single information providers.

   Windows -- RssReader
   http://www.rssreader.com/

   Mac -- NewsFireRSS (this one costs about $30)
   http://www.newsfirerss.com/

Once you're set up, all you have to do is click on any orange RSS button on a site, blog or news source that interests you.

• If you have only one RSS reader, it will either:
  • automatically pick up the feed when you left click or
  • Right-click (control-click for Mac users) and select Copy Shortcut ("Copy Link to Clipboard" for Mac), and paste that URL into your RSS Reader.
  
  Try it here:

  Click and get started.

• If you have more than one RSS reading destination, you can left-click and you will be given the choice as to which reader you would like to pick up this feed.

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