What is RSS?
RSS is an XML format for syndicating news; "news" in this context can encompass not only current events but also recent changes to a web page, CVS check-ins, or the revision history of a document. Once information about such items is coded so that an RSS feed exists, an RSS-aware program can check the feed for changes and then present the information as you choose. For example, an RSS-aware web browser can check the news feed of a favorite site and then alert you when that site has been updated. News aggregators are programs that collect information from a number of RSS feeds and present it in a single interface.
RSS and the similar technology Atom are formats, whereas syndication is the process of publishing and processing updates.
The source of the acronym "RSS" is disputed; RDF Site Summary, Rich Site Summary, and Really Simple Syndication are three common expansions.
For more information on RSS, see:
http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2002/12/18/dive-into-xml.html http://www.webreference.com/authoring/languages/xml/rss/intro/ http://www.mezzoblue.com/subscribe/about/Last modified on May 13, 2009.
