How to use RSS and Atom Feeds

It is more convenient than ever to subsribe to information feeds.

Internet Explorer 7 now has auto detection for feed content built right into the browser. The universal feed icon is located on the right of the toolbar which is orange if that site or page offers an information feed. You simply click on the icon to subscribe. The Firefox browser has the same capability and icon built in.

Alternatively, there is more information below on how to subscribe to feed content.

Copy and paste the Feed URL

To receive information feeds from this site, follow these steps:

  1. Right click one of the top three feed links in the sidebar that fits your needs. The RSS feed, RSS comments feed, and Atom feed are explained in more detail below.
  2. Select copy shortcut from the popup menu which copies the feed URL.
  3. Paste this feed URL into your favourite feed reader or web browser that supports information feeds.

The first link is for RSS version 2.0 which is the Toronto Health Blog information feed. The second link is for comments made about posts on the blog. The third link is for Atom version 1.0 which is the same as the RSS link but with some differences in presentation. Thus, selection of RSS or Atom is a user preference.

Note: if you left click on these links you will get a page with a bunch of XML code on it or with respect to the Atom link possibly a file download window. Simply copy the URL from the address bar of the browser which is the same as right clicking the link and selecting copy shortcut. The Atom link may require you to close the download window, right click the Atom Enabled link, and then select copy shortcut.

The remaining links are direct links to popular web based feed readers. Simply left click as normal on the link of your choice.

What is RSS?

RSS is a set of data formats for sharing information. Think of it as a news ticker like the ones you’d see on old movies. Adding RSS feeds to your browser or other software allows you to create your own news ticker made up of as many RSS feeds as you like. RSS is used by sites with weblogs and news web sites to share, publish, and syndicate the content of the sites in a simple form. RSS is short for Really Simple Syndication.

What is Atom?

Atom is a format quite similar to RSS. It was created by people who felt that RSS could be improved upon, and some that disagreed with some of the politics regarding RSS. Some people are heavily involved in the argument as to which format is better. The basic difference is that while Atom is somewhat more complex, it is also able to carry more complex information, and it is consistent across the syndication, storage, and editing of information. Just about everything on this page which discusses RSS applies equally well to Atom. You can learn more about Atom at the official website, AtomEnabled.org.

Why Use RSS?

Imagine for a second you could have the latest information from your favourite web sites delivered to you in a really simple way without you having to visit the web sites or sign up for newsletters. Thats what RSS enables you to do!

Once you’ve set up the RSS feed, the headlines or summaries from a web site will update automatically for you. You get the latest information from as many web sites as you subscribe to. Then if something interests you, you click an individual headline to go to the full information. Many web sites use RSS including all the major news sites and almost all blogs.

How To Use RSS Feeds

To use RSS you need to grab the RSS feed from a web site. You can do that using a web browser, software for your computer called an RSS aggregator, or one of the Web based aggregation services. RSS Reader is a simple and good free tool if you use Windows. The simplest was way to start out is by using a web browser. Below are links and resources for you to use plus a simple guide to using RSS with Firefox.

Browsers that support RSS

RSS Aggregators (Software and web based services)

How To Add RSS Feeds To IE7 and Firefox Bookmarks

To use RSS with Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox look for the universal RSS icon to the right of the address bar. The icon will only appear, or appear an orange color, when you’re visiting web sites with an RSS feed.

  1. Click the icon on the right hand side of the address bar. Then click the link that pops up to subscibe to the RSS feed to your bookmarks.
  2. The bookmarks dialogue will open. Choose where you wish to store the RSS feed bookmark.
  3. Go to the RSS feed in your bookmarks to see all the latest headlines for that feed. The headlines will update automatically for you so if you ever want to see the latest headlines from that site simply go to your bookmarks and look without having to go directly to the site itself. To view the article or information click the bookmark link as you would any other and go to that page’s information.
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© Dr. Robert J. Evans 2010