RSS Feeds

Links to MHC's Feeds
If you already know what RSS is and just want the links, here they are:

News Headlines (XML)
Sports Headlines (XML)
Featured Events (XML)
MHC Podcast (XML)

What Is RSS?
RSS is a format for distributing Web content. When you subscribe to an RSS feed, your news reader software keeps an eye on a Web site’s feed and notifies you whenever a new article is published. If you keep tabs on a lot of Web sites, it can be a real time-saver.

Using RSS
If you don’t know what RSS is, but would like to try it, the easiest way to get started is with an online reader such as My Yahoo! or Bloglines. You can also use a free desktop reader like NetNewsWire Lite (for Mac) or Feedreader (Windows). If the RSS feed includes audio or video content–known as a "podcast"–you can use a player such as iTunes to subscribe. And if that weren’t enough, some Web browsers and email clients also function as RSS readers.

• More Web-based readers
• More desktop readers for Windows and Mac

A Web site offering a feed may include an orange or blue button labeled RSS, XML, or Atom, typically something like this: . Alternatively, the feed may just be presented as a text link called “RSS,” “News feed,” or something similar.

You can always copy and paste the feed’s address to add it to your reader manually. In addition, most readers offer a more automated option such as “drag and drop” or a special button in your browser’s toolbar. Some Web sites include separate RSS buttons for each reader to automate the process. If you use one of these readers, you can just click on the appropriate button to add an MHC feed. For example:

News	Sports	Podcast
		iTunes

What Does RSS Stand For?
Depending upon who you ask, RSS stands for any of the following:

• RDF Site Summary (RDF, an abbreviation within an abbreviation, stands for Resource Description Framework)
• Rich Site Summary
• Really Simple Syndication

To make matters more confusing, a similar format called Atom functions like RSS but is not called RSS. Whatever the name, RSS and Atom both are XML formats for syndicating Web content. (XML, by the way, stands for Extensible Markup Language.)

More About RSS:
Faganfinder’s All About RSS
RSS Quick-Start Guide for Educators (PDF)
News On Demand (PC World)

On the MHC Web:
RSS Information (from LITS)
Brian Kysela’s RSS Information and Links