RSS: The Easiest Way to Stay Current On Your Favorite Websites

Do you go to the same websites on a regular basis? Do you check news, sports, entertainment, or other blogs or information sites? What if, instead of going to them, they came to you in a neat, simple, and easy-to-read format. 

People rarely understand what I mean when I say I am addicted to my RSS feeds. Only the geekiest of tech nerds will nod and then ask what reader I use. While some people like Apple News or the home page on Yahoo (or some other service), using RSS (real simple syndication) provides a personalized view of what is new on the websites I most want to read. 

I follow a variety of news sources. I follow news sources specific to cities that interest me (for example, because my children live there) and local or niche websites. In addition, I think it is important that I follow sources that are designed for demographics that do not include me so I can get different perspectives on what is happening in the world. In addition, I am interested in technology, science fiction, word games, and a multitude of highly niche blogs, zines, and literary news. 

Like the old-fashioned dad at breakfast, I open my iPad to my RSS reader (I use Feedly) and get a list of what is new on the web sources to which I have subscribed. I see a long list of headlines with a few short sentences after each to give me a flavor of that article. 

I have grouped my list into sections like in a newspaper. These sections make it easier to manage - feeds. Like the newspaper, I have a news feed as well as feeds on technology, literature, education, shopping, and one for articles that don’t fit into any of my categories. I also have a favorites feed so, if I am in a hurry, I only look at the articles that come from the sources with which I am most engaged. 

I read some of the articles. Some I save for later. My reader, Feedly, has a means of saving content, but I use another web app called Instapaper. Instapaper allows me to save an article to read not only later, but offline when I don’t have an internet connection – perfect for reading on airplanes or while waiting somewhere where there is no wifi. 

Here is how you start. Start with an RSS reader. Here is an article describing several. 

Here is a step-by-step video to help you set up feeds and websites in Feedly. 

Enjoy!