RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication”. It is a way for people to keep up-to-date with frequently updated content, such as blogs, discussion groups, topics, and news. By using an RSS Reader and subscribing to an RSS feed, you can easily browse content from multiple areas and/or websites that interest you. Having an RSS reader is like having your own customized newspaper that only contains information that you are interested in, and you can read it at your leisure.
RSS is different than an email subscription. When you subscribe via email to a discussion group (forum) or a newsletter, you are sent an email every time a new topic or reply is added to the discussion group. If you have multiple email subscriptions to multiple different things, your email quickly fills up with information that can be extremely overwhelming. (Many people end up considering these emails “junk mail”). By using an RSS Reader and subscribing to RSS feeds, you can easily view everything that interests you in one place without having to go many emails.
For example, you could use an RSS Reader to subscribe to an RSS feed for a member’s blog, three discussion groups, five discussion topics, CNN news highlights, ESPN baseball game stats, and stocks on the wall street journal. Then, anytime at your leisure, you can go to your RSS Reader and view all of your subscriptions, just like reading a newspaper. Some RSS Readers will even send you email alerts or send text messages to your cell phone when certain search criteria is met (for example, when a certain sports team wins a game).