Web 2.0 Training - RSS Feeds

This week I learned about RSS Feeds, which enable you to check for updates on numerous websites by just visiting one page. I have never used RSS Feeds before - I can count on one hand the number of websites that I visit on a daily basis, and it has never felt time consuming to go to each of these pages individually. But in the spirit of learning, I decided to set one up anyways.



The video mentioned Yahoo Reader as a viable RSS Feed, and since I have a yahoo email address, I decided to try this instead of the two other sites suggested in the Web 2.0 Blog. I added several websites to my Yahoo Reader, but the results were mixed at best. Some of the RSS Feeds would work as I had assumed they would - I clicked on the headline, and the article opened in another box on my Yahoo Reader page. But when I clicked the headlines from some other sites, the internet browser just went to that particular webpage for me to read the article - it was as if I had just gone to the webpage from the beginning! I returned to my Yahoo Reader page by clicking the back button. Another problem I encountered was that some of the webpages had actually been updated more recently than my RSS Feed initially stated. I also found it frustrating that I could not read comments on the RSS Feed, only the main article. In the end, I think RSS Feeds would have been a lot more useful ten years ago when we had to spend five minutes waiting for each webpage to load. But I'm not sure how much time is saved these days when the internet moves at light speed.



I have also been racking my brain to think of ways that RSS Feeds could be used at the library. Maybe an RSS Feed could be offered that tells about all of the events being offered at the library - but I don't know if that's necessary when we already have a calendar on the main website, plus events are scheduled well in advance and don't require the immediacy of an RSS Feed. Perhaps an RSS Feed could be set up that lets patrons know whenever new books are added to the catalog. This way patrons will know whenever their favorite authors have a new book out. Of course, we might have to set up a separate RSS Feed devoted to James Patterson - I think he has a new book out every month!