Windows 7 / Getting Started

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Using RSS Feeds

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, and RSS provides a means for syndicating Web content. To put it simply, an RSS feed is Web content that is delivered to you using one of a handful of possible methods.

Tip You don't have to browse all your sites to see what's new. Use RSS feeds to have your favorite Web content delivered straight to your door.

The main difference between an RSS feed and a Web page is that RSS feeds are delivered to you automatically; you don't have to browse to the feed's content to see what's new. When you subscribe to a feed, new content comes to you automatically as soon as it is published. For example, depending on how you subscribe to the feed, you might receive an e-mail notification with some of the content and a link to click so that you can view the entire content. Or, if you visit a Web page that hosts an RSS feed Web part, the RSS feeds are displayed on that Web page, and you can click the links to view the content. RSS feeds are often used for publishing news, so you're likely to find feeds at news sites, such as your local newspaper or TV station's Web sites. But any site can host RSS feeds. Press releases are often published as RSS feeds, as are blogs.

When you browse to a Web page, take a look at the Feeds button in the Command Bar. When it displays as orange and enabled, one or more are feeds available from that page. Click the Feeds button to learn more about the available feeds. You might see several feeds when you click the Feeds button.

If you see a feed that looks interesting, click it in the drop-down menu under the Feeds button. You come to a new page that shows information about the feed. If it looks interesting, you can subscribe to the feed. Most subscriptions are free. You can unsubscribe at any time, so you're not making any big commitment when you subscribe to a feed. To subscribe, click + Subscribe To This Feed on the feed page. In the resulting dialog box, just click the Subscribe button to subscribe to the feed.

You can subscribe to as many feeds as you like. Internet Explorer automatically checks all feeds in the background for fresh content. To view feeds, click the Favorites Center button and then click Feeds. You see a link to each subscribed feed. Click any feed's link to see current content.