Integrating RSS into Your Web site Part 1: Introduction Michael Sauers Technology Innovation Librarian Nebraska Library Commission NLA/NEMA 2008

What is RSS? Depending on who you ask it stands for either “Really Simple Syndication”, “Rich Site Summary”, or “RDF Site Summary”. “ Really Simple Syndication” is the de facto definition today. RSS is an XML language for syndicating items on the Internet.

Depending on who you ask it stands for either “Really Simple Syndication”, “Rich Site Summary”, or “RDF Site Summary”.

“ Really Simple Syndication” is the de facto definition today.

RSS is an XML language for syndicating items on the Internet.

How does RSS work? Information Provider Information Receiver

Implications of RSS Information is received in a single location Information is received quickly The need to visit the originating Web site is reduced and…

Information is received in a single location

Information is received quickly

The need to visit the originating Web site is reduced

and…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shifted/491666805/ The possible end of this:

Michael Sauers Technology Innovation Librarian Nebraska Library Commission Computers in Libraries 2008 Integrating RSS into Your Web site Part 2: Getting Feeds Where None Exist

Feedity

Feedity

Feedity

Feedity

Feedity

Feedity Limitations Works better on some Web pages than on others. Notes Be sure to take advantage of the refine feature for more accurate results.

Limitations

Works better on some Web pages than on others.

Notes

Be sure to take advantage of the refine feature for more accurate results.

page2rss

page2rss

page2rss

page2rss

page2rss Limitations Generally works better than Feedity but has no ability to refine the results.

Limitations

Generally works better than Feedity but has no ability to refine the results.

Feedmysearch

Feedmysearch

Feedmysearch

Feedmysearch

Feedmysearch Limitations None to speak of

Limitations

None to speak of

Michael Sauers Technology Innovation Librarian Nebraska Library Commission Computers in Libraries 2008 Integrating RSS into Your Web site Part 3: Republishing Feeds

Integrating feed content into your Web site Grab content from multiple RSS feeds Reduce and/or mash it Republish it on your site

Grab content from multiple RSS feeds

Reduce and/or mash it

Republish it on your site

Feed2JS

Feed2JS

Feed2JS

Feed2JS

Feed2JS

Feed2JS Limitations Third party (but you can download and install it on your own server which is recommended)

Limitations

Third party (but you can download and install it on your own server which is recommended)

feed.informer

feed.informer

feed.informer

feed.informer

feed.informer

feed.informer

FeedDigest

feed.informer

feed.informer

feed.informer Limitations Third party service. Limited to five feeds in free version.

Limitations

Third party service.

Limited to five feeds in free version.

Scrolling RSS News Ticker

Scrolling RSS News Ticker

Scrolling RSS News Ticker

Scrolling RSS News Ticker

Scrolling RSS News Ticker Limitations Third party Shows small advertisement

Limitations

Third party

Shows small advertisement

RSS Scrollbox Widget

RSS Scrollbox Widget

RSS Scrollbox Widget

RSS Scrollbox Widget

RSS Scrollbox Widget Limitations Third party Shows small advertisement Ad free, local-hosted version available for $35.

Limitations

Third party

Shows small advertisement

Ad free, local-hosted version available for $35.

Grazr

Grazr

Grazr

Grazr

Grazr

Grazr Limitations Third party

Limitations

Third party

Michael Sauers Technology Innovation Librarian Nebraska Library Commission Computers in Libraries 2008 Integrating RSS into Your Web site Part 4: Feed Notification

IM Feeds

IM Feeds

IM Feeds

IM Feeds

IM Feeds

IM Feeds Limitations IMs tend to come in without any formatting. i.e. a single large block of text. Seems to randomly not like valid RSS feeds.

Limitations

IMs tend to come in without any formatting. i.e. a single large block of text.

Seems to randomly not like valid RSS feeds.

Pingie

Pingie

Pingie

Pingie

Pingie

Pingie

Pingie Limitations Doesn’t like feedburner feeds

Limitations

Doesn’t like feedburner feeds

ZapTXT

ZapTXT

ZapTXT

ZapTXT

ZapTXT

ZapTXT Limitations Can’t handle feeds that require logins Sometimes reports a feed as “not valid” and there’s nothing you can do about it. Searches on multiple keywords are “OR” searches. “AND” searches don’t seem to be possible.

Limitations

Can’t handle feeds that require logins

Sometimes reports a feed as “not valid” and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Searches on multiple keywords are “OR” searches. “AND” searches don’t seem to be possible.

Mail2RSS

Mail2RSS

Mail2RSS

Mail2RSS

Mail2RSS Limitations Bloglines doesn’t like the RSS2.0 feeds, use the 1.0 link instead Mail automatically deletes after seven days Feeds are limited to 20 items Potential security issue when using Subscribe with Bloglines bookmarklet (next slide)

Limitations

Bloglines doesn’t like the RSS2.0 feeds, use the 1.0 link instead

Mail automatically deletes after seven days

Feeds are limited to 20 items

Potential security issue when using Subscribe with Bloglines bookmarklet (next slide)

Mail2RSS

RssFwd

RssFwd

RssFwd

RssFwd

RssFwd

RssFwd

RssFwd Limitations Some (including me) argue that converting RSS to e-mail defeats the purpose of RSS.

Limitations

Some (including me) argue that converting RSS to e-mail defeats the purpose of RSS.

FeedJournal

FeedJournal

FeedJournal

FeedJournal

FeedJournal

FeedJournal

FeedJournal Limitations Must manually regenerate each issue

Limitations

Must manually regenerate each issue

Contact information Michael Sauers [email_address] http://travelinlibrarian.info/ http://www.slideshare.net/travelinlibrarian/ http://www.delicious.com/travelinlibrarian/nlanema2008/rss

Michael Sauers

[email_address]

http://travelinlibrarian.info/

http://www.slideshare.net/travelinlibrarian/

http://www.delicious.com/travelinlibrarian/nlanema2008/rss