A Brief Summary of RSS

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, or Really Stops Spam, depending on who you ask. Essentially, it is a protocol, an application of XML, which makes it possible to syndicate and aggregate online content. RSS files are used to create a data feed which will deliver headlines, links or, in fact, just about anything, to a channel viewer application, like QuikView or DeskView. These applications are sometimes also called news readers or aggregators. These programs will constantly monitor the RSS feeds to which they are subscribed, and alert the user when new information has been added to a feed, what we call channels.

There are multiple versions of RSS currently in use, with different numbered versions. The higher number does NOT indicate a more advanced or powerful version of the protocol, as the development of RSS forked some years ago, and there are now two distinct and separate formats. But don't worry, Q Channels are able to handle both formats with ease!

If you would like more detailed information on the history and development of RSS, we recommend that you check out What is RSS? by Mark Pilgrim. It is pretty technical, but it is the best introductory information on the subject we have seen available on the web. And remember, you don't have to learn RSS to use it, all you need is a Publishing membership in Quikonnex to have all of that techie stuff taken care of for you. Then you can concentrate on your business and leave the technology to the Qs!