Again I begin by using my (and CollegeBoy’s) go to guide for information, Wikipedia. This is how it describes RSS and RSS Readers: “RSS (most commonly expanded as Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format. An RSS document (which is called a "feed", "web feed", or "channel") includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. RSS feeds can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader", or "aggregator", which can be web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-device-based. A standardized XML file format allows the information to be published once and viewed by many different programs. The user subscribes to a feed by entering into the reader the feed's URI or by clicking an RSS icon in a web browser that initiates the subscription process. The RSS reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new work, downloads any updates that it finds, and provides a user interface to monitor and read the feeds.”
So the key here is the comment “They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place.” Each morning I have my “internet routine.” I begin by checking my email and then right off of the email page I go to my Google reader and see all the new content that is available to me. I check the daily blogs I read first, and then move to the Yankee updates. I then touch on humor and by then 30 minutes have passed and I feel caught up on what is happening in the world, what my friends and acquaintances are saying and have had a laugh or two. Ready to face the day!
As mentioned, I use Google reader and I would highly recommend it. It has a nice, clean design view, offers easy ways to add, delete and manage subscriptions to all matters of information and if you use Gmail, it has a nice, one click jump to and from your email. Adding to your subscriptions is easy. If you see/read someone or something you would like to follow, you can look in the toolbar for the RSS symbol
(depending on your browser and version of browser). If it does not appear there, you simple look on the site for the symbol or a “subscribe” button. Clicking this brings you to a subscription page which you add to your list and you are following them! Very simple, fast and rewarding.
So this leads us to a final question which is “well, what do you read, anyway?” So I thought I would give a shout out to a few important people in my daily life:
The Zees Go West – Mrsfabp found her through a City-Data website for Las Cruces, New Mexico, when we were first starting to seriously think of relocation to that area. Clairz, the author had moved to New Mexico via New Hampshire and was documenting the process of the move there. She started in Clovis and then relocated to Las Cruces and her stories and pictures painted a very inviting feature. I read all the posts from her blog (over two years worth) and through comments on her entries began a correspondence with her and her husband Beez (who has his own blog – Pirate Dogs and Pilgrims). Her stories are wonderful, her pictures are outstanding and she really paints a picture of her life there with each entry. I actually have come to think of her as being a sister of mine in an earlier life as many times she begins her comments on my blog posts with “we did the same thing when I was growing up…”
Tales of the Amputee Mommy – Mrsfabp also discovered this gem of a blog, when reading about life with an amputee, when I lost my leg 4 years ago. Peggy, the author is an amputee who writes about her daily life – being married, raising a son, dealing with the every day parenting issues, while also dealing with having a prosthesis and all the issues that affect her life. Proper fit, learning to run, going through airport security, family and others attitudes, and dealing with the unsettling nature of realizing you are not whole. She has touched me in such a positive way, with her attitude, exploits and adventures (and misadventures!), such that my day is not really complete until I have checked in on her day too.
Wil Wheaton’s Blog aka WWdN:In Exile - For those of you not familiar with the name, Wil is an actor and writer who was one of the main characters in the movie “Stand By Me” and who also was a cast member for a couple of years in Star Trek – Next Generation. I came to him thought retweets on Twitter and when I checked out his blog, was captivated by his writinfg style and stories from Geekdom about the things he was doing and was involved in. Writing internet books, playing parts in several TV shows, Wootstock ( a sort of gathering for all things Geek) and ComicCons, he espouses the simple internet philosophy “Don’t be a dick!” Words to live by…
River Avenue Blues – This Yankee blog is an invaluable sourse of information about my favorite baseball team. Whether it is post game summaries, talk about the latest trade rumors or just an in depth look at a player or situation that has occurred, this is the place to go. Off season there are blogs about the minor leagues, free agents, trade rumors and the like which makes for daily reading enjoyment.
LoHud Yankee Blog – is a great news compiler of all Yankee news all the time. Newspaper based, the author has access to the best updated information and it is the place to go for the latest breaking news. I also follow this site through twitter.
Fail Blog – This is where I turn for a laugh each day and it is rare that this site not provide me with several. It is a combination of photos, videos and written words that illuminate the internet meme “FAIL” Each day there are maybe 15 posts that put a smile on my face, several of which are known to make me LOL (yea, couldn’t resist…)
Cake Wreaks – MillieJupiter’s favorite site, this website documents the travails of those in the cake baking industry who deal with the failures of people to use their common sense. The pictures here are worth a thousand words easily.
So, check out these sites if you have a minute or two and consider using Google Reader if you are looking for a better way to manage the different things you read each day! In my next post, a few more blogs and websites that I look at...
2 comments:
You know, my brother, my dad was from Worcester. I'm pretty sure if we dug around in our family histories we would find some mutual relatives somewhere along the line.
Every time I read your blog, I find something that I must add to one list or another. This time it's Cake Wrecks--what a funny site!
So how do you deal with the fact that the more interesting stuff you find on the Ted Stevens Intertubes, the more you want to read?
Its like books. When I first learned it wasn't possible for me to read all the books I wanted to in my life time, I was sad.
Now, I can't hear all the podcasts I want to read, much less make all the podcasts I want to make ... much less read all the rest o the stuff of these tubes.
Ted Stevens really backed up the truck, didn't he?
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