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In the previous section, I mentioned RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds to skim headlines before even going to the news site. So, how does it work?

Simply put, RSS separates data (the actual news you are reading) from layout (the website that you are looking at) and sends you only the data. How you want to look at it after it has been delivered to you (layout) is up to you. You can use a web browser, a specialized RSS reader, a PDA or cellphone, even certain desk phones (such as the Cisco 79xx series) are capable of displaying news items based on RSS. It is the data that is important. The way that it is displayed to the end user is irrelevant.

RSS is often depicted by the RSS logo. When you see this little orange square, it means that the information that is available on this site, is available as an RSS feed as well. At your favorite news sites, look for this logo or a link to RSS feeds. Most news sites offer this functionality.

When you have found an RSS feed you are interested in, you need a way to read it. There are many ways to do this and every way has it's own advantages. You can use a specialized RSS reader program (also known as an aggregator) if you become really addicted to skimming headlines. An other option is to include it into your email client if your email client supports it. For Outlook and Outlook Express, there are several third party plugins available that add this functionality, such as RSS Popper. The latter will convert RSS feeds into emails and drop them into a folder with the appropriate name, which you can then read as if you are reading email.

If you have only a few feeds, consider adding them to iGoogle. iGoogle is a service from Google that allows you to create a personalized home page, with RSS feeds and other widgets (small programs that specialize in one thing), so you have a birds eye view on the things you are interested in. By creating an iGoogle page, you take a big step towards getting your personalized homepage set up.