Remember this post, where I told you about RSS feeds and most of you went, "Huh?" Well, I have moved on from my browser-based feed reader. I now use Newsgator's web-based feed reader. Why? Because "web-based" means I can access it from any computer with an Internet connection.
Although I know most of you are still going, "Huh?", I am writing about RSS feeds again for two reasons:
- I am curious to know how you (Yes YOU, sitting there reading my blog and going all, "I don't need no stinkin' feed reader!") currently get your daily blog info, and
- To clear up something JennBo and I were both confused about that I have finally figured out.
ITEM 1: How do you get you blog info? Do you:
- Go to the blog site and read it there,
- Use a feed reader of some kind (Newsgator, Bloglines, Rojo, MyYahoo, MyAOL, etc.), or
- Use some other method. (If so, please tell me what you use because for the life of me I cannot think of one single "other" way to read blogs.)
Please leave your answer in the comments. If you are feeling lazy, feel free to just type in the corresponding number as your answer.
ITEM 2: I finally figured out the purpose of that crazy page you often get when you click on an RSS or XML button!
JennBo's comment on the post I linked to above included:
"Several of the "subscribe to rss" links on other blogs are an index.rdf file. What the hell is an *.rdf file? All I get is an option to download an unreadable file. Or, sometimes the *.rdf opens in my browser and it is basically a messed up html document."That's the file the feed reader "reads" but here's the good part: many feed readers give you the option to put a button on your browser's toolbar to "Subscribe in Newsgator" (or whatever feed reader you use). Once you click over to that messy page of XML code, click on your browser button and the feed will be added to your feed reader. SO much easier than being on the site's main page and clicking the browser button to add the feed and waiting, waiting, waiting for it to be found.
If you don't have the handy button on your browser, the crazy XML page is still valuable. Your feed reader should allow you to add a feed manually by typing/pasting in the URL. The XML page's URL is the one to use, rather than the site's main URL. (Like above, your feed reader will probably still find the feed eventually if you input the main page instead, but this way is faster.)
Okay I'm shutting up now. No more talk about RSS feeds. Ever. Scout's honor. (Does it still count if I was only a girl scout for about a year and didn't earn any but the most basic of badges? Oh wait, I just remembered...I don't need no stinkin' badges!)
