What are RSS feeds and why are they useful?

RSS stands for "really simple syndication," among other things, and is a technology that brings news information to you, so that you don't have to gather it from lots of different sources.

For example, if you regularly read certain sections of the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Raleigh News & Observer, you can subscribe to feeds for those sections and have them sent to your RSS reader. I use Bloglines as it's free, very easy to set up, and web-based, so you're not tied to a specific computer.

Feeds are time savers because you don't have to bother with sections that hold no interest for you.

It takes about 5 minutes to get started:

1. Set up an account for an RSS reader. Here is a list organized by platform, e.g., Web, mobile, Blackberry, etc.
2. Go to your favorite sites and find the feeds. They are often indicated by small, orange symbols. In the case of this blog, there is a link at the bottom of the page that states, "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)."
3. Click on the icon or link, follow the instructions, and you're set!

Bloglines is the homepage on both my work and home computers.