How to Subscribe to a Blog

How to Subscribe to a Blog

Blogs change frequently, some with new entries every day. It can be difficult to keep up with all the new information, and you may end up missing something.

Thankfully, this blog uses RSS to help keep you in touch. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Here's the basic idea of how it works.

The basics of subscribing to a blog

Each blog has a special file called an RSS feed.
That file is linked to the RSS button at the top of the blog.
If you copy that link, you can then paste it into something called an RSS aggregator.
An RSS aggregator is a web site or a program that will check each day to see if there is anything new on the blog. The RSS aggregator does all the hard work for you, since most people don't have time to check all the web sites they like every day.
If there are any new entries on the bog, the RSS aggregator will display them for you.
Instead of having to go to all the web sites you like, you simply need to go to your RSS aggregator at your convenience to see all the items that are new.

Common RSS Aggregators

There are many free web sites and programs that will handle your RSS feeds. Below are just a few of the more common examples:

Web pages

Bloglines - http://www.bloglines.com/
Google Reader - http://www.google.com/reader
Pageflakes - http://www.pageflakes.com/
NewsGator - http://www.newsgator.com/ngs/default.aspx

Programs

Forte Agent
Most email programs (such as Thunderbird)
Most web browsers (such as Internet Explorer and Firefox)

How to copy the RSS feed link

Although each RSS aggregator will have its own instructions for use, most will offer you a place to paste in the web address of you RSS feeds. So, it is necessary for you to be able to copy the RSS feed address for the blog you wish to subscribe to. Here are two common options to do this:

Option #1

Right-click on the RSS button at the top of the blog page
From the pop-up menu, choose "Copy Shortcut"
Now the RSS feed address is copied into memory and can be pasted into your RSS aggregator

Option #2

Left-click on the RSS button at the top of the blog page
This will open the RSS feed in a window (or tab)
At the top of your browser, you will find the RSS feed address in the browser's address bar (or URL bar)
Click in that address bar to highlight the RSS feed address
Now just copy the address using whatever method is correct for your particular computer
1. Right-click and choose "Copy"
2. Press the "Ctrl" key and the "C" key at the same time (on a Windows computer)
3. Press the "Apple" key and the "C" key at the same time (on a Mac computer)
Now the RSS feed address is copied into memory and can be pasted into your RSS aggregator