Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a simple format that can be used either to receive updated content or to send content from one’s website or blog. It’s simple to use, and various free resources are available on the Net. Simply put, RSS is just like newspapers receiving content from news agencies like AP, Reuters, UNI, etc. If you have an RSS feed on your webpage, you continue to get the latest content automatically, provided it is updated by the provider or source.

To use RSS feeds, you must use a feed reader or aggregator. One free and easy to use resource is RSS-to-JavaScript. The following steps need to be followed:

1. Select the RSS feed you want to place on your webpage. You can simply type “RSS [subject]” in any search box like Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. In place of “[subject]“ enter the the topic you want. Let us say, you typed “rss news”. The search engine will display results for this keyword phrase. Select any result and look for the “red” button with the words “RSS” or “xml”. Click on any red button of your choice. A page in “xml” script will open up. Do not bother with the page — simply copy the page’s URL. That is the RSS feed. EF NOTE: Simply look for links to RSS and XML feeds; sometimes they’re red buttons as described here, or some other colored buttons, or even plain text links.
   
2. The RSS feed has to be “read.” Go to RSS-to-JavaScript or some other feed reader and paste the feed’s URL in the appropriate place. Set you font setting preferences, etc., or choose default settings. The feed reader will generate JavaScript code.
   
3. Copy and paste the JavaScript code where you want it to appear on your site (it’s your site, so the assumption is that you know how to do this).
   
4. View your site and verify the feed’s content and appearance, etc.

Some more tips:

You may want to consider setting the “Link Target” specification to ”_blank” so that when the visitor clicks on any RSS feed link, the destination appears in new window.

Before using any free feed reader, ensure that the feed isn’t just for a limited period, otherwise, the feed will eventually terminate (unless you pay for continued service).

One main disadvantage of JavaScript-based feed readers is that search engine spiders or crawlers won’t read the RSS content on your pages. So, it is essential you use this feature merely as an information supplement and service to your visitors. Do not tamper with the JavaScript code.

If you have a blog on Blogger, there is usually a sidebar you can use for RSS feeds. Here are the steps for incorporating RSS feeds there:

1. Go to: Posting > Create > Edit Html
2. Paste the JavaScript code into the main body.
3. Enter a suitable title in the “Title” box.
4. Add any content, if you wish.
5. Click on “Publish Post”.
6. View your blog and modify settings, if you like.

CAUTION: Please do not include RSS feeds (other than those provided by the webhost) on free Web hosting pages like GeoCities, etc., since it violates the terms of service.

Mohan Potukuchi is a chemical engineer who writes on a diverse range of subjects. He helps newbies by recommending free resources for website development. Check out his As It Strikes Me blog.

RSS has been used for more than a decade, but has only recently become commonly used. It is used to provide headlines and summaries of information in a concise and standardized way in one place, without the inconvenience of visiting separate sites on the Internet.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication (although versions before RSS 2.0 were often recognized under various names). RSS feeds are written in a computer language called XML. This technology is what makes big news websites possible: RSS files are used to create a data feed which will transmit headlines, links or virtually any other piece of information to a channel viewer application, which is sometimes called a news reader.

Simply, a real simple syndication feed is a method that allows Web content to be formed into a recognizable form for viewing through a feed reader. It allows the user to save time and effort by viewing recent content from many different websites, without having to visit the sites individually.

RSS feeds (or news feeds) are growing quickly in usage and popularity and have become an integral part of the Internet, but many users don’t understand what they are. They allow people to see when their favorite websites have added new content without actually having to go to that website.

You can use RSS feeds to keep up to date with the latest posts from your favorite blogs and websites. Feeds can easily be used to get the latest news, weather, or movies, and be able to read them all in one place. This technology also gives you the ability to have other websites have up to date, accurate online information from your site(s) in seconds. Headline and sports news, informative articles, website updates, or your favorite food recipes are just a few of the things that you can syndicate!

Many people set up the feeds to update on their My Yahoo!, or Google page. You can also use them to keep informed with any groups that you belong to.

For example, YahooGroups is a free online community and discussion group service. YahooGroups can be monitored using RSS feeds. In order to keep in touch with a particular newsgroup, simply add /feed/msgs.xml to the end of the YahooGroup URL. Add the new URL to your RSS reader and receive updates every time a new post is added to the newsgroup.

RSS feeds can be used for online marketing very effectively.

If you want to promote your website, using Real Simple Syndication can get your URL listed with all search engines very quickly. This is a good choice for new webpages that need to have increased traffic. Marketing with feeds can help your URL achieve excellent results and ranking well in searches for your webpage’s main keywords.

Internet marketers can use the technology for contacting their mailing lists of subscribers. Many emailed newsletters are deleted without being read. RSS feeds are a more effective way of communicating, and will avoid the challenge of an email not getting through the spam filters.

Webmasters can use RSS feeds to place different types of content on their site. Valuable content can be in the form of articles, stories, press releases, announcements, updated info, company details, products and marketing. Creating feeds on your site gives webpages an ever changing source of syndicated content, and they need very little maintenance once you have set them up.

There are several advantages to using RSS as a source of Web content for your site. Quality content keeps your site visitors coming back and continually adds value to your website. It helps to perpetuate you as an expert in your niche and makes people more confident in purchasing from your site. Content syndication greatly facilitates your site in obtaining higher rankings in the search engines.

Barbara White writes for Send RSS Feeds where you can learn more about RSS feeds, content syndication and RSS feed submissions.

3D box shots (also known as “virtual box shots,” “virtual boxes,” “box covers,” or even “ecovers”) are images that appear to represent a 3D image of a product box. They are in fact just graphics (usually in PNG or JPEG format, but occasionally in other formats such as GIF, BMP or even Flash) associated with a product which is in reality completely non-physical and intangible, such as software, ebooks, video or music downloads, a subscription to a membership site or ezine, etc.

The purpose of these graphics is not to trick people, but instead to simply make a non-tangible product seem a little bit more real and comprehensible, as well as, of course, presenting it in a nice attractive light. If you think there’s any possibility that any of your visitors may be confused by the box shot, you can do as I do: Simply include a clear notice on your download or purchase page (or even the footer of every page), reminding people that your product is delivered as a digital product over the Internet and that no physical item is shipped.

There are a number of alternate ways to create box shots:

1. You can draw them yourself (you need to be good at art for this one)!
   
2. You can pay an artist to draw them for you (fine, but expensive if you need quite a few graphics).
   
3. You can get scripts for Adobe Photoshop that will facilitate drawing the box shot. Generally what these scripts do is take your 2D design of the front cover of the box, and make it 3D. This is generally a fine solution, but it does require Photoshop, which is of course quite expensive.
   
4. You can get standalone software which is specifically designed for creating box shots and ebook cover images.

Authors, marketers and product developers may use these graphics in a number of ways, including within the products themselves (for example, in the title or copyright information page of an ebook), in advertising materials, or as a navigational element on their website (for example, allowing users to choose between multiple products by clicking on the appropriate product box).

Sunil Tanna writes for Cover Factory, easy-to-use and affordable software for creating your own box shots and ebook covers.