Do you use RSS feeds?Prev TopicNext Topic

• Todd

  

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  Chief Bottle Washer

  New Jersey
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  May 29, 2007, 4:23 pm

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  I have posted about RSS feeds in the past, and haven't gotten much feedback, so I'm guessing there aren't many people utilizing them.  Am I correct?

  If you don't know what an RSS feed is, you can read about them here.  (That link has been in the left menu for years, but I'm not sure too many people have investigated it.)  Frankly, that info is a bit out of date at this point, so I'll need to update it when I get some time.  However, it's probably still worth looking at if you never have.

  Lottery Post has had some RSS feeds for a long time, and I'll be expanding them.  Right now, you can get an RSS feed of the News, the Change Log, and every premium blog.

  RSS feeds are wonderful ways to stay up-to-date on any information that you try to keep tabs on every day.  For example, if you want to always be informed when there is new lottery news posted at Lottery Post, you can subscribe to the news's RSS feed, and then your computer will automatically check to see if new lottery news has been posted at Lottery Post, and tell you if there is something new. 

  If you have several sites you like to browse on a daily basis to see if anything new was posted, that's where RSS feeds really shine.  You can easily set up a hundred different feeds (or any number), and you will be told by your PC is there is something new at any of them -- without having to visit each one yourself.

  Just look for the presence of this symbol on the page:

  That means a feed is available.  To subscribe to the feed, one of the easiest ways is to simply use Internet Explorer version 7 ("IE7").  It has an RSS reader built-in.  All you do is click on the symbol, and then when you see the RSS feed, click "subscribe".  Then, your subscribed feed will appear under "Feeds", right next to "Favorites".  If the name of the feed is in bold text, there is new info waiting to view.

  The IE7 help pages probably have a much better description than I could give, so I'd recommend checking it out, or maybe Googling it.

  Some of the RSS feeds I'll be adding in the future include all forum posts, standard blogs, blog comments, predictions, and *perhaps* something with results and/or jackpots (haven't decided on those yet).

  I use RSS feeds many times a day now -- they have become an important part of my daily ritual -- and it struck me that many people aren't getting the same benefit -- either because they don't know about RSS or because they haven't explored it yet.

  Please answer "YES" or "NO" on the poll, and then if you answered "NO", please do youself a big favor and check out RSS!

  If you posted "YES", I'd love to hear about how YOU use RSS.

   

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• johnph77

  

  CA
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  May 29, 2007, 7:35 pm

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  I use RSS feeds, but not to the extent they could be utilized, simply because I already have too much to view when I come on line anyway. It's a good utility for those who need it.

  Blessed Saint Leibowitz, keep 'em dreamin' down there..... 

  Next week's convention for Psychics and Prognosticators has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

   =^.^=
• Badger

  

  Wisconsin
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  May 31, 2007, 8:16 am

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  I voted "No". Already between the radio, TV and Internet, I'm being inundated  with news, and most of it is of no interest to me anyway.  I have limited time and if I want to check something out in more detail, I can go to it.  And frankly, no matter what the source of the news,  I discount at least 50% of it, because the people writing it have their own agendas, so its always going to be slanted. That's just the way I feel.

  ============

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• amsoly41

  

  Tennessee
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  October 29, 2005
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  Jun 3, 2007, 8:33 am

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  I use Sage RSS and Atom feed reader. (for Firefox)

   

  It allows me to quickly sift through news and articles.

   

  I can get to the meat of the story and quickly weed out other stuff

   

  I think it would depend on what kind of RSS reader people are using.

   

  IF one has a poor RSS reader one would naturally not like RSS.

   

  
  

   

  I use it for convince.

  

  Money can't buy you happiness... but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery 
• Todd

  

  50

  Chief Bottle Washer

  New Jersey
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  May 31, 2000
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  Jun 3, 2007, 6:54 pm

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  In response to Badger

  Quote: Originally posted by Badger on May 31, 2007

  I voted "No". Already between the radio, TV and Internet, I'm being inundated  with news, and most of it is of no interest to me anyway.  I have limited time and if I want to check something out in more detail, I can go to it.  And frankly, no matter what the source of the news,  I discount at least 50% of it, because the people writing it have their own agendas, so its always going to be slanted. That's just the way I feel.

  Your post is important, because it most perfectly points out some of the biggest myths of RSS "news readers".  (This is most certainly not a cut on you, I just think it's a great opportunity.)

  First of all, it is not just for "news".  News was the first type of information processed through RSS, so unfortunately the name stuck ("RSS news reader").  It is in fact a way to stay on top of any information that you want to make sure you don't miss.

  For example, many software companies use RSS to alert you if a new version of their software comes out.

  When you say that it would just be more clutter ("radio, TV, and Internet..."), it would in fact have the opposite effect!  RSS feeds and readers are a great way to remove all the clutter of a thousand different news sources, because they hide all that complexity from you.

  For example, when you listen to or watch the news, is there any particular type of news that interests you?  Why bother watching an hour news-cast, when all you want is the USA national news and the sports news?  With RSS, you can subscribe to the exact type of news you like, and your computer will silently monitor your news feeds for you, and download the latest.  When you're ready to sit down and see the news, your reader already has everything you need right in your computer -- just flip it on and start reading/watching.

  RSS is great to use instead of bookmarking a site that you stumble across.  If you're like me, as you surf around the Internet for a few years, you can start to collect an enormous number of "Favorites" (bookmarks).  You may have hundreds of very useful links, but what's the point if you never (or rarely) go back check them?  With RSS, you can stay on top of a lot of sites that you have stumbled across -- not just the bookmark, but the content.

  The reason I point this out is not because I think I'm going to suddenly change your mind, but to maybe get some people to try RSS, who normally would not have done so.  How would you know that you don't like to eat caviar, unless you've tried it?  Just something to think about.

   

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• csfb

  

  United States
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  May 13, 2005
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  Jun 4, 2007, 12:01 pm

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  The little I know about RSS, I learned from reading your post, "What is RSS".  That's right, I read your posts and give credence to what you write about the internet and technology.  Why?  Well, even if I haven't met you, I know that technology is your passion.  After all, you built this website. 

  Now, you got me interested to try RSS.

                        
• Todd

  

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  Chief Bottle Washer

  New Jersey
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  Jun 4, 2007, 3:12 pm

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  In response to csfb

  Quote: Originally posted by csfb on Jun 4, 2007

  The little I know about RSS, I learned from reading your post, "What is RSS".  That's right, I read your posts and give credence to what you write about the internet and technology.  Why?  Well, even if I haven't met you, I know that technology is your passion.  After all, you built this website. 

  Now, you got me interested to try RSS.

  I take that as a very nice compliment, thank you!  You have certainly got me pegged -- a complete geek,  guilty as charged!

  I'm glad to hear you'll be checking out RSS.  It's not the end-all of technology, but another good tool in the arsenal.

   

  Check the State Lottery Report Card
  What grade did your lottery earn?

   

  Sign the Petition for True Lottery Drawings
  Help eliminate computerized drawings!