The number of websites which offer RSS feeds is on a constant increase with every passing day. Readers now use RSS readers in place of visiting each site on an individual basis.

What is RSS?
It stands for 'Really Simple Syndication' and was invented by Dave Winer. The main aim of this format is to provide an easy process to obtain the content of a website without the need to pick it out of the HTML mass. It is a XML language to describe the contents in an easy form. It specifies the content's title, writing date, updating date, and its URL.

Which Version?
The various version of RSS are totally different from each other. RSS 0.9 and 2.0 are somewhat similar, where as RSS 1.0 is considered a complete failure, as it is not recognized or used by any software. It is recommended to use RSS 0.9 for simple operations whereas RSS 2.0 for detailed use.

How is RSS Produced?
To turn your content into RSS, you can either write the script yourself or use Blog softwares to do it automatically for you. Look for a small button with 'RSS' or 'XML' written on it. RSS should be produced while updation of the content or whenever a visitor requires it. However, updation of the RSS does not send the changes automatically, until their softwares ask for it. There is generally a gap of five minutes between RSS updation and the visible changes.

How Do RSS Readers Work?
For RSS reader to work, the user has to subscribe to it by entering the URL of a RSS feed or click on a link that begins with feed://. This makes the RSS reader work as a email program. It retrieves the new entries and alerts the user. In fact, many email programs now come with a built-in RSS reader.

On opening a new RSS entry, the user sees the content and the link of that page on your website. However, the graphics and ads are not displayed in the RSS feed. So, an incentive must be given to them to click.

What More is RSS Used For?
RSS was designed with a view to be used for everything, but its most common use is RSS readers. You can do anything such as mixing RSS feeds from different websites to create an entirely new website. That's why the word 'syndication is RSS' is used as the content from other's sites can be syndicated on yours and vice-versa. It is not essential to have a RSS to make your site a success.