What is RSS?

RSS a.k.a. “Really Simple Syndication” is a way to stay updated on your favorite websites, like YumUniverse. RSS makes use of an XML code that constantly scans the content of a website for updates and then broadcasts those updates to all subscribers through a feed. Updates include a headline and a summary or the lead-in to the larger story. You will just need to click a link to read the entire story.

In order to receive RSS feeds, you must have an aggregator—a feed reader. There are many aggregators online (many of them free) so you should be able to find an interface that works for you. In addition to being available on your computer, RSS feeds can also be read on PDAs and cell phones.

When you discover a website you would like to add to your aggregator, you can do so in one of two ways. Most sites that offer an RSS feed have an “RSS” or “XML” button on their homepage that you can click on and it will instantly add that feed to your aggregator. Depending on your aggregator, you may instead need to copy and paste the URL of the feed into the program. By either method, the feed will be available as soon as you’ve added it, and your next update could arrive in seconds. If you ever decide that you don’t want to receive updates anymore, you simply delete the feed or URL from your aggregator.

RSS feeds are preferable to newsletter updates because they are instantaneous and they will also never be held up by a spam filter. RSS feeds are used by people who like up-to-the-minute news, reports and updates that interest them.

References:
1.wisegeek.com