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Getting to Grips with RSS
What are RSS feeds and why do I need them?
RSS feeds send you updated content from websites. By subscribing to an RSS feed, you get the latest content from your chosen website which you can then visit if you want to see more.
There are a large and steadily growing number of websites providing RSS feeds - from the biggest names on the web such as the BBC to the smallest of blogs. If you visit your favourite news sites it's likely they will already have RSS feeds - see if you can spot the RSS sign ( ).
Look out for the RSS sign - you'll be surprised at how many interesting feeds you can already subscribe to!
How can I get RSS?
There are three ways of getting hold of RSS feeds:
- Use a web-based feed reader. You can add your RSS feeds to web-sites such as Excite MIX and view all your feeds from one place. Keeping your feeds on your personal web page makes them accessible wherever you are!
- Install feedreader-software. Feedreaders are programs designed for managing feeds. You can download your free reader-software, for example, from Feed Reader or Rss Reader.
- Get RSS feeds direct to your inbox. Some email clients support this functionality. If you want RSS feeds delivered to your inbox try using Excite Mail (click on the "Mail" tab, then on "Subscribe RSS" to add your feed. It couldn't be easier!
Which RSS feeds are provided by Excite?
We're continually updating Excite's comprehensive list of RSS feeds. At the moment they include sport, entertainment, politics and world news. Check this site frequently as we'll be adding more feeds soon.
How do I get the precise address of a feed?
With your mouse, right-click on the RSS-Button (). A menu will pop up - choose "Copy Shortcut". Then change to the website or software where you want to use the feed and paste this shortcut.
Example: if you would like to subscribe to Excite's news channel with Excite Mail you would:
- Right-click the RSS icon next to "All Excite News" in our RSS feeds list.
- In the menu that appears, click on Copy Shortcut.
- Sign in to Excite Mail, go to Mail, subscribe RSS and click on the "Add RSS feed" button.
- Right-click the box next to RSS URL (first line)
- In the menu that appears, click on Paste - which puts the address of the RSS feed in the box.
- Add an RSS title (your choice, perhaps Excite News), click on Save Changes and you're done!
More information on RSS
Got a taste for RSS? If you're after further information about RSS technology, why not try visiting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(protocol)
http://backend.userland.com/rss
http://davenet.userland.com/2002/10/08/whatIsANewsAggregator
http://www.purplepages.ie/RSS/netscape/rss0.90.html
http://web.resource.org/rss/1.0
Support
If you have any questions relating to Excite's RSS feeds or feed readers, please do contact our Customer Support.
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