Last updated at 22:39, Monday, 04 February 2008

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is a service that delivers to you the latest news headlines, saving you the time and trouble of having to click from one area to another to get what you want.

For example, if you're a Carlisle United fan and all you want is to read the latest United headlines, you could use RSS to give you the Carlisle headlines.

How do I start using it?

First of all, you need a news reader. Though they all largely do the same thing, there are a lot of different ones available and you can either use them through your browser or via a downloadable application. They all allow you to subscribe to the RSS feeds you want.

Different readers work for different operating systems, so check that the one you choose is suitable before you download it.

Some different readers include:

• NewzCrawler
• FeedDemon
• Awasu
• Mac OS X
• Newsfire
• NetNews
• My Yahoo!
• NewsGator

Once you have decided on your reader, the next step is to decide what content you want. For example, if you want the latest news stories, visit the main news section and you will see an orange button on the left hand side.

By clicking on the button, you can subscribe to the feed in a number of different ways, including copying and pasting the URL directly into the news reader.

Some internet browsers, such as Firefox, Opera and Safari, can automatically get the latest RSS feeds for you. Check the appropriate website for more details.

Using RSS feeds on your site
The use of our RSS feeds as part of a website is encouraged, subject to our terms and conditions. We do not accept any liability for our RSS feeds.

Terms and conditions
1.1. You must create a functional link back to the story(ies) summarised by the content.
1.2. You may not directly or indirectly change, edit, add to or produce summaries of the content or any content on our website or place any full-story newspaper content in an HTML frame-set.
1.3. We reserve the right to prevent the distribution of content.

First published at 21:39, Monday, 04 February 2008
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk