Headlines by RSS
A faster way to keep up with StarBulletin.com -- and the rest of the Web
Ever wish for a faster way to see what's new on your favorite Web sites? You might find a solution in RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
RSS is a system that lets you quickly find out when Web sites have posted new or updated information. Using a program called a news reader or aggregator, you can subscribe -- nearly always for free -- to Web sites that offer RSS 'feeds.'
Once subscribed, all you have to do is check your news reader program to find out when a Web site has been updated, and, in most cases, what has changed.
There are free RSS news reader programs for most types of computers. Starbulletin.com does not endorse software, but for Windows machines, a popular one is Sharpreader. On the Macintosh, NetNewsWire has a freeware version. (Commercial versions generally offer more features.) You can find a more extensive list of RSS news readers via Google.
Once you have installed your RSS news reader, you can begin subscribing to feeds. Some news readers come with a list of feeds already set, but you will probably want to find your own. (Not all RSS feeds are from mainstream news organizations. Many are from small special-interest publications, newsletters and individual Web logs.)
To subscribe to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin's RSS feed, start your news reader and follow its instructions to subscribe to new feeds. Then paste or type in this URL:
(Note: If you try to view this URL
in a conventional Web browser, it
may not display properly.)
Once you are subscribed, you can use your news reader program to check to see when the latest edition of Starbulletin.com has been posted.
Below is a sample screen from an RSS news reader:
NETNEWSWIRE LITE ON MAC OS X
In this example, feeds are listed in the left pane, headlines from the selected feed are in the upper right pane, and a clickable link to the selected headline is in the lower right pane. (Other programs have slightly different configurations.)
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When you see a headline you're interested in, click on the link and your Web browser will take you directly to that story.
Most RSS news reader programs check your subscriptions whenever you start them, but most can also check periodically while they are running. See your specific news reader's preferences or settings for details.
While not all Web sites have RSS feeds yet, the format is increasingly popular. For sites that do have feeds, RSS gets you the information you want that much more quickly.