Information Architecture for the Web: Enhancements: Social Technology: Syndication

How can you share your website with others? Through syndication, people can subscribe to your content. Most regular website readers and listeners can use a news aggregator and RSS feeds to help manage information. RSS stands for Really Simply Syndication (RSS). The process of making your web content available to subscribers is called syndication. Read RSS from wikipedia to learn more about RSS.

The Cincinnati Public Library has a nice overview of using RSS feeds for it's patrons.

Examining a Feed

Let's look at some RSS feeds. They are written as XML files.

In addition to providing a link to the feed file, it's a good idea to provide directions for end users. Examine the directions and examples for using RSS feeds provided by BBC, Library of Congress, Hennepin County Library, Kansas City Public Library, or Minneapolis Public Library or explore links to other library RSS feeds.

Read Chapter 15 by Ron Huddleston in HTML, XHTML, & CSS.

Skim Learning Spaces: Blogs: RSS Feeds from High Tech Learning.

Creating a Feed

The trend is toward using RSS 2.0. The feed is created XML files in two parts: introduction and items. The introduction contains the name, URL, webmaster, date updated, and description of the website. It may also contain other information

The list of items describe the content to be shared such as article, postings, video, or audio content. You'll save this file with the .xml file extension such as feed.xml. In most cases you'll use a cute icon such as or to serve as a link to this file.

Example

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>Library News</title>
<link>http://wordpress.mylibrarywebsite.com/</link>
<description>Our Library Blog </description>
<language>en-us</language>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2007 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<lastBuildDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2007 10:00:00 GMT</lastBuildDate>
<docs>http://wordpress.mylibrarywebsite.com/rss</docs>
<webMaster>webmaster@mylibrarywebsite.com</webMaster>

<item>
<title>American Born Chinese</title>
<link>http://wordpress.mylibrarywebsite.com/news/2007/news-abc.asp</link>
<description>For the first time a graphic novel has won a major literature award for young people. American Born Chinese uses a graphic novel format to tell three intersecting stories.</description>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2007 09:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://wordpress.mylibrarywebsite.com/2007/01/01.html#item123</guid>
</item>

<item>
<title>Uno's Garden</title>
<link>http://wordpress.mylibrarywebsite.com/news/2007/news-uno.asp</link>
<description>Uno's Garden is the latest picture book by award winning children's author and illustrator Graeme Base.</description>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2007 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://wordpress.mylibrarywebsite.com/2007/01/02.html#item124</guid>
</item>

</channel>
</rss>

Examining a Feed

Creating a Feed

RSS Feed Creators

Learn More