RSS FAQ

1. What does RSS stand for?
Glad you asked. It has stood for RDF Site Summary, Rich Site Summary and most recently, Really Simple Syndication. It joins the ranks of acronyms such as VHS, originally Vertical Helical Scan, but changed to Video Home System so as not to scare off customers (just grammar students), and DVD which started life as Digital Video Disk, but soon changed to Digital Versatile Disk when it was realised the name was too limiting. For now you may as well go with Really Simple Syndication.

2. Why Do I Want It?
It will change the way you surf. Instead of checking your favourite sites to see if they have been updated, your RSS reader will inform you each time there's an update on your chosen sites.

3. Does It Work On All Websites?
No, it only works with websites that use the system. If a website employs RSS it will make one or more RSS files (which are XML files) available to you. Most sites employing RSS will use one or all of the following icons.

Large websites, such as international news sites, will offer you a variety of RSS files, or "feeds", covering, for example, local news, national news, sport, finance etc. On these sites you only receive updates on the sections you want.

4. How Does It Work?
If, for example, you have placed a feed from the sports section of your favourite news site in your RSS reader, your reader will notify you when there are updates. This works because the website will update its RSS file each time the site is updated. Your RSS reader frequently checks your selected RSS files (not the actual website), and advises you every time the RSS file changes. Your RSS reader will typically inform you of the website, the title of the new articles, and a summary (the titles and summary are written specifically for the RSS feed by the website, and are thus usually clear and concise). If you are interested in the new article you can then navigate straight to it.

5. So what does UKA's feed offer me?
By subscribing to our feed you will be advised every time there is a post on our blog. All UKA updates and announcements are posted on the blog, so you'll know straight away!

6. Sounds Good, What Now?
If any of the sites you frequently read have RSS then there is no good reason not to get an RSS reader right now. There are plenty available on line for free, and most are typically easy to set up and use. Within minutes you could be receiving news of updates from your favourite sites.