RSS: (Really Simple Syndication). I use it for two things. To update those who might follow this blog and to keep updated with the blogs that I follow. I have used RSS for a long time. I used to have an app on my Mac that I used to check for updates with different sites using RSS. Then I discovered that Firefox could automatically update them, almost as a bookmark. So I got used to doing that. Every day I would go the bookmarks folder that contained the RSS feeds or "Live Bookmarks" as Firefox calls them; and see who had posted what. The convenience of just looking and not actually having to open each individual web page was great. I am not talking about 2 or 3 sites, even 20 or 30, there are about 260 blogs/sites that I had become accustomed to viewing on a regular basis, but of course they don't all update that frequently. So RSS is great for finding out of there is anything new.
Along comes Windows 7. I installed the public beta, then the release candidate and really liked (more or less). The only issue was that Firefox, the browser that I had used primarily for years was not as snappy as I was used to. It was downright slow! So I looked at other browser alternatives; Google Chrome, Apple Safari, even IE (a little). Chrome was pretty quick so I thought I would give it a try, the only issue was that Chrome does not handle RSS feeds like Firefox, so I needed an alternative way to feed my RSS addiction. Enter Google Reader.
Google Reader is an RSS aggregator. It does what Firefox did with "Live Bookmarks" only on a web page. So that I can look on Google Reader and see if there has been any updates. I exported out of Firefox and into Google Reader. I have to say that I like it. Getting used to viewing everything together is not a bad way to do it.
If you are looking for something new to try for the New Year. Google Reader may just be the thing. Or the old thing that you have been reading this post from!
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