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Old Tue Sep 19, 2006, 01:52 AM
Marrowforums Marrowforums is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 919
Learning what's new with RSS

With a method called RSS, you can have your computer automatically check what's new at Marrowforums. This method may be the most convenient of all, but may seem complicated because there are so many choices of software.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a technology that lets software on your computer track what's new at a web site. The website must support RSS and you must have an RSS reader, which is software that understands RSS feeds, the data made available by the website.

When you use an RSS reader to subscribe to one or more Marrowforums forums, the RSS reader checks those forums periodically, showing you the titles of new threads. Clicking a title will send your web browser to that thread in the forums. (This use of the word subscribe differs from the method described above for forum subscriptions and thread subscriptions.)

Facts about RSS readers:
  • Some are built into web browsers.
  • Some are built into email clients.
  • Some are plugins for web browsers.
  • Some are plugins for email clients.
  • Some are standalone applications.
  • Some are free.
  • Some are commercial products.
RSS readers are built into the Firefox web browser and the Thunderbird email client for Windows and Macintosh. Firefox calls the feature Live Bookmarks.

For Windows, see the Microsoft RSS page for information about RSS readers and recommended software. Commercial RSS readers for Microsoft Outlook include NewsGator and intraVnews.

An RSS reader is built into the Safari web browser for Macintosh.

There are dozens of other RSS readers.

For further information, see How do I use an RSS reader to watch forums? in the FAQ.