According to an iCrossing survey of 500 people from November of 2012, only 7% of people said that they used RSS feeds for websites. On top of that, 44% of respondents said that they did not even know what RSS was, a total of 41% said that they weren’t sure or never have, an 8% said that they no longer do, even though they used to. To avid RSS users, these numbers might seem startling, especially considering the fact that free news feeds are one of the best ways to get updates and information about virtually any topic and a great alternative to traditional news outlets like the television and printed publications.
RSS stands for Rich Site Summary, technically, but many people refer to it as Real Simple Syndication. But no matter what it is called, essentially, RSS works by sending articles, blogs, and other content right to you. By subscribing to RSS feeds for websites, you can get all of the information that they share and upload without having to actually type the site into your browser window. This can be quite convenient when it comes to staying informed and keeping up with all of the topics that interest you the most, especially if you have a busy schedule that makes it tough to find free time in your day.
For the most part, RSS feeds cut down on the amount of time you need to devote to getting the latest news and updates. Whether you have a demanding job that requires you to work at all hours, even after you leave the office, or kids that need to be shuttled to practice and friends’ houses every day, finding the time to sit down and watch the news or read the paper can be quite difficult. However, RSS feeds send stories right to you, and if you have a smartphone or tablet, they can be accessed while on the go so you can get informed both wherever and whenever you want.
The number of people who no longer use RSS might have increased after Google shut down the immensely popular Reader over the summer. However, there are still some great aggregators out there that make it easy for users to get information from the website news feeds they subscribe to. Some of the best alternatives include Digg, NewsBlur, Feedly, Pulse, and for those who want something like what Google offered, The Old Reader.
Nowadays, there are lots of different ways for people to get the news and updates that they want, especially if they use the internet. Subscribing to RSS feeds for websites might be the best way to make staying informed an easy and convenient task.