What is rss and how does it work ?

[glennk]

Can someone please help me unravel the mystery of rss feeds ??? What are they and how do they work ??

 

Thanks in advance - Glenn

[PDB]

It's a different way of providing frequently updated information to clients/users.

 

For example, you may want to send out in an RSS feed the latest weather reports. The weather report is put into a specially formatted file sitting on a web server accessible on the internet, this file is updated at regular intervals.

 

The URL to pick up this file is advertised as an RSS feed.

 

Anyone with an RSS reader on their PCs can subscribe to this RSS feed (file) by putting the URL of this file into their RSS Reader, the RSS reader goes off at intervals to collect this file and display its contents on your PC.

 

The audio equivilent is a podcast.

Edited June 6, 2007 by PDB

[glennk]

I have (I THink) set rss up on my site for the weather yet nothing fashes up to tell me there is new info there ?

 

Have I done something wrong or do I misunderstand ?

[PDB]

I have (I THink)

 

How are you creating the RSS file and are you sure it's being created?

[Dave-C]

Have a look at this site and it should answer any questions you have. http://www.whatisrss.com/

[glennk]

Cheers Guys. Thats sorted now. I had it right all the time but didnt realise you neede to click the sign to see what had been added to the site.

 

Thanks for your help.