Do you enjoy reading blogs? There are so many great blogs on a variety of subjects, most everyone is going to find some they like. In fact, over time, don’t be surprised if the number of blogs which catch your eye climbs into the dozens. For me, that number is 102.
I don’t have time to visit 102 different blogs each day, and neither do you. The reality for all too many of us is that because the time commitment is overwhelming, we give up reading blogs altogether. The pitiful part is that we are depriving ourselves of knowledge which is relevant to us and enjoyable.
In this post, I want to share a concept which makes keeping up with your favorite blogs simple. In fact, “simple” is its middle name. Welcome to the magic of “Really Simple Syndication.” With it, you choose the blogs you like, and “RSS” brings all of their new content to you in one neat package.
The first step is for you to select an RSS reader. Several of the more popular ones are:
Each of the above are free. If you already have a Google or Yahoo account, no additional sign-up is needed. The RSS reader is the place you will go to read the posts from all of your favorite blogs.
The next step is to start subscribing to the blogs you like. When you visit one of these blogs, look for an orange icon with white arcs. Clicking that icon will allow you to “subscribe” to the blog. From then on, whenever the author posts new content, it will automatically show up in your RSS reader.
You are now ready to enjoy reading and learning information from all of your different blogs! It’s just that easy. Each day, or as often as you like, visit your RSS reader to automatically see the new material.
Google Reader is my RSS reader of choice. This short video provides an overview:
One of the reasons I like Google Reader is because it works hand-in-hand with my “iGoogle page.” One of the “gadgets” I have on my iGoogle page is Google Reader. What this arrangement means for me is when I open my browser, the first thing I see is the set of “gadgets” on my iGoogle homepage. Front and center among the gadgets is Google Reader. On a typical day, I will see around 150 posts in Google Reader.
Do I read them all in detail? Of course not, no more so than I would read every article from a newspaper word-for-word. I scroll down the screen, scanning the titles, skimming the text, and stopping to read in detail as I feel the need.
Our world is changing. You don’t need me to tell you that. Each of us has access to all of the information needed to keep us on top of our game. Organizing it is the challenge. Really Simple Syndication (RSS), is a huge part of the solution.
This post was written by Dr. Frank Buck.
Frank Buck has served as a teacher, principal and central office administrator during a career in education spanning almost 30 years. He realized early that getting organized and managing time well makes life easier. In his books, Get Organized! Time Management for School Leaders and Organization Made Easy: Tools for Today’s Teachers, Dr. Buck captures those ideas in an easy-to-read, “nuts-and-bolts” approach. He has presented at national conferences all across America and has conducted countless workshops for teachers and administrators. Dr. Buck’s blog, Get Organized!, can be found at http://FrankBuck.blogspot.com.