How do I start using RSS feeds?

The simplest way to subscribe to a SHEU RSS feed is to click on the button found on the right of this page next to the topic of your choice.

What is RSS?

RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". It is a simple way of easily distributing news, lists of headlines, updates and sometimes content, instantly and to a wide number of people. Software such as web browsers, email programs and RSS aggregators then organize those headlines and notices for easy reading. Most of  the latest versions of web browsers and email programs have RSS functionality built in but you can also get standalone, downloadable applications specifically to handle RSS feeds.

How does RSS work?

RSS works by having the website author maintain a list of the latest information and short descriptions on their website in a standardised way. This list of notifications is called an "RSS Feed".

People who are interested in finding out the latest headlines or updates can check this list. Special computer programs called "RSS aggregators" have been developed that automatically access the RSS feeds of websites you're interested in and organize the results for you. (RSS feeds and aggregators are also sometimes called "RSS Channels" and "RSS Readers".)

Producing an RSS feed is very simple and hundreds of thousands of websites now provide this feature, including major organisations like the BBC, Yahoo!, Reuters, as well as many weblogs.