If you’re on the CoolRVToyz.com site regularly, you may have noticed a change recently. There’s a new block in the right side bar the lets you subscribe to my blog using your favorite RSS reader or via your email. What is RSS and how can it make your online life easier?

RSS is an Internet protocol used to publish frequently updated content. RSS allows you to “subscribe” to, or “syndicate” content on the internet such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, video, etc. When you subscribe to an RSS feed, you use an RSS reader to get that content automatically whenever new items are published. In some ways, it’s like being on an emailing list. RSS documents (which are called a “feeds”, “web feeds”, or “channels”) includes full or summarized text, plus information such as publish dates and authors.

RSS feeds can be read using software usually referred to as an “RSS reader”, “feed reader”, or “aggregator”. These readers can be web-based or desktop-based. By using an RSS reader, it isn’t necessary to actually visit the web site to read its latest content. I personally use Google’s RSS Reader because I can make it a widget in my iGoogle page.

The great thing about using an RSS reader is the fact that I can subscribe to RSS feeds from many different web sites. It’s not necessary for me to actually wander around the web and check each site to see if they’ve posted something new I might be interested in. I just check my RSS reader each morning when I sit down with my first cup of Brazilian Santos. (yep, I’m a coffee snob). If you don’t want to bother with an RSS reader, many sites let you put in your email address as well. If you use the email option, then you get the blog entries in your email as soon as their published. Often times, what you get is just an abstract about the blog post with a link to click if you want to read the entire article. That’s one of my favorite parts. I can quickly read the abstract and then decide if I want to click and read the entire article.

The subscribe box for my RSS feed lets you get all of my blog entries, and ONLY my blog entries either by adding my feed to your RSS reader or getting them in your email. This is quite different from adding your name and address to my email list. All I use the email list for is major announcements, and the occasional shameless “junk mail” offering when I think it’s appropriate and relevant to the RV lifestyle. If you really don’t care about my “junk mail”, then maybe adding your email address to my RSS feed is the better option for you. That way, the only email you’ll receive from me are my blog posts. That will still get you the announcements of updates to the Campgrounds Directory because I always post those in a blog entry as well as send an email to the mailing list.

So, if you’d like to have my blog articles sent to you automatically, free from the occasional piece of junk mail, maybe the RSS feed is the better option for you. If so, click on the link to add me to your RSS reader if you use one, or enter your email address and click the SUBSCRIBE button. Either way, it’s a great way to keep up with my ramblings.

Happy RV’ing …

Phil King