RSS Feeds

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i-Tree Forum RSS URL: http://forums.itreetools.org/rss.php

The i-Tree Forum’s RSS feed

RSS stands for Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication. An RSS is something a website (such as a blog or a news service) offers to readers that provides a "news feed" of information as soon as it becomes available. It works almost like a stock ticker, delivering exactly the information to which you have "subscribed." This eliminates the need to go out and check your favorite outlets for new information, because it’s automatically delivered to you.

For background information about RSS feeds, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS

How to use the RSS feed

Users of RSS content use programs called feed 'readers' or 'aggregators.' The user 'subscribes' to a feed by supplying to their reader/aggregator the appropriate link to the website’s feed; the aggregator then periodically checks subscribed feeds to see if any has new content, and if so, retrieves that content and presents it to the user.

There are many feed readers available, and the choice depends on the user’s preferences. Here are six ways to make use of the i-Tree feed.

1. Use your web browser

On the left hand side of the menu bar is a small orange RSS symbol

. When you click on it, most modern browsers will ask you if you want to add the feed and have new posts retrieved automatically.

Ex. Firefox (cross-platform)

· Click on the RSS symbol
· On the screen that pops up, select to subscribe to the feeds using Live Bookmarks,
· Click "Subscribe now"
· Give the feed a name, and click OK.
· The feed is now listed under your bookmarks with the RSS icon, and clicking on it will show you all the available posts.

2. Use a desktop aggregator

Ex. FeedReader (Windows only)

· Download and install from http://feedreader.com/
· Delete any pre-loaded feeds (optional)
· Click New --> New Feed at the top of the left-hand panel
· Copy and paste the i-Tree Forum RSS URL into the box that opens, and click “OK”
· If it seems not to pick up new posts as fast as you would like, right-click the feed name in the left-hand panel, click "edit feed" and select a suitable interval from the drop-down menu for "Update period"
· More info: http://www.feedreader.com/features.php

3. Use an online aggregator

Ex. Bloglines (cross-platform)

· Go to[url] http://www.bloglines.com/[/url], and set up a free account by clicking on “Register” in the upper right corner
· Click on the yellow “Subscribe” icon
· Copy and paste the i-Tree Forum RSS URL into the box that opens, and click “OK”
· The unread feeds that are available will show up on the “Feeds” tab.
· You can install a small notifier on your desktop that will pop up when a new post is available, see http://www.bloglines.com/about/notifier

4. Use an email client

Ex. Thunderbird (cross-platform)

When you use an email client, the feeds show up just like email in their own folder.

More info: http://kb.mozillazine.org/RSS_basics_-_Thunderbird

5. Use a web portal

Ex. Google Reader (cross-platform)

· Create a free Google account at http://www.google.com/reader
· Click “Add Subscription” in the left-hand
· Copy and paste the i-Tree Forum RSS URL into the box that pops up
· Feeds will be loaded automatically as they are posted

More info at http://www.google.com/help/reader/tour.html

6. Use a widget

Ex. RSS Reader for Yahoo Widget Engine (Windows and Mac OS X)

· Download and install the Yahoo Widget Engine from http://widgets.yahoo.com/
· Download and unzip to your desktop the widget RSS Reader from http://widgets.yahoo.com/gallery/dl_r.php?widget=36939
· Double-click package to start using the Reader
· Right-click to delete pre-loaded feeds one at a time (optional)
· Right-click, Add New Feed, give it a name, and paste in the i-Tree Forum RSS URL
· The feeds will now be visible in the widget on top of your desktop.

More info: http://widgets.yahoo.com/basics/