Wednesday, October 8, 2008

#8-Make Life "Really Simple" with RSS & a Newsreader

I took Michael Sauer's RSS class a while ago, so this was a good refresher for me. What I like about RSS is how you can use a newsreader to go out and gather all the new information about things you are interested in and it will bring it together in one place for you. Very convenient! I also like how it clears everything out after you have read it as the default. You have to choose to save something. That works well for someone like me who has trouble managing information in this overloaded information age. It can get away from me pretty quickly. What I don't like about it is that I get it all set up, and then something changes and the newsreader has trouble retrieving the information. This has happened to me many times since I originally set up the account. Even though it is frustrating for me to have to go back and set it up again, it is also a good lesson and reminder. I do the E-Vance calendar for our branch, and we have been told many times not to make changes once the event has been published because it can mess up the RSS feeds. Evidently, they are tied to specific pieces of information and changing that will cause someone that subscribes to have the same trouble that I have experienced when the newsreader goes to retrieve that information (at least that is the understanding I have from my end). The other thing I have trouble with is finding something I am interested in following on a regular basis, though I see that is something we will be working on in the next thing. So until then.....

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