Programs and Websites to Help You with RSS Feeds

A quick little introduction into the tools that can help you use RSS feeds.

I recently discussed all the RSS feeds that exist to keep you updated with this site. For those of you who are new to the RSS life, I thought I would suggest some ways to use RSS feeds.

If you want the long version of what RSS feeds are, please read the wikipedia entry. Basically, an RSS feed is a tiny, quickly downloaded file that tells a user when a site has been updated. They may contain headlines, summaries, or complete versions of the website. By getting the data in this format, you can utilize various software packages and websites to deliver the information to you in whatever way you wish to use it.

Recommended Windows Software Packages:

RSS Bandit – Very popular, RSS Desktop News Aggregator. Rock stable, polished, and very easy to use.

SharpReader – Classic RSS Aggregator that has recently been updated. Famous for its notification popups.

Recommended Web Options:
If you would like access to your RSS feeds from anywhere, consider a web RSS aggregator. Obviously these are not going to be quite as user friendly as the desktop versions, but at least you’ll have access to information anywhere.

Bloglines – Probably the most popular web aggregator. Easy and friendly.

Rojo – Although not quite as polished as the above, rojo allows easy tagging and sharing of your collection of RSS feeds.

If you can’t find what you need, try one of the many others in this uberlist of aggregators.