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RSS: How to set up an RSS reader (and how RSS can supercharge your life, save you time, and how to get started)

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What exactly is RSS...?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.

Notice how it has the word 'simple' in it's name? That's there for a reason!

RSS simply means this: Content posted on a blog or news site can be pushed to you, instead of you going to look for it.

A bit like subscribing to a newsletter, but you get the fresh content in an 'RSS Reader' (not your inbox), and you can subscribe to anything where you see the orange RSS logo on the left. So you're not confined to just newsletter subscriptions. You can subscribe to almost anything.

Step 1.

The first thing you need to do is get an idea of the Big Picture. How RSS and Google reader will work for YOU.

So here is a very handy video explaining it in plain English.
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Step 2.

So what you need to do now is to sign up for an RSS reader.

I use and recommend 'Google Reader'. It's easy to use and understand, and you can customise your Google homepage to display the latest items on your reading list. So it's very useful because of that.

So go to google.com/reader and sign up (if you don't already have a google account, register for one). Once you've signed up for google reader you will be taken to a page that looks like this:

This is what Google Reader will look like when you first get there. With a nice welcome video too. 

Step 3.

So now that you've got yourself your RSS reader, you now need to start subscribing to some of the blogs you want to keep up with. So I will use one of my own blogs, SquidooCool.com, as the example.

First, click here to open SquidooCool in a new window/tab. This is just the example, but you can use any blog you can think of.

See the address bar?

What you need to do is copy the web address to your clipboard. So hightlight the web address, right click it, and click 'Copy'.

It's shown in the picture below.

Hightlight the web address, right click it, and click 'Copy'. 

Step 4.

Almost subscribed

Now, head back to google.com/reader.

You need to look on the left hand side of the google reader page and look for the link I've highlighted in the image below. Click 'Add Subscription', right click in the box that pops up, and Paste the blog link into the box. Now click save.

Congratulations. You have just subscribed to your first blog using RSS! :)

Look for this on the left of the Google reader page! 

Step 5.

Getting your feeds on your homepage:

Now that you've subscribed to a blog, it's time to make your feeds more accessible. Head to your google homepage. And look to the top right corner for 'igoogle'. Click the link, and you will see a page that will become your personalised google homepage.

The link is here:

iGoogle is your personalised homepage 

Step 6.

Now to add the Google Reader Widget to your iGoogle page

Now that you're on your iGoogle homepage, and you've subscribed yourself to at least 1 blog, you can now add the Google Reader widget to your iGoogle page.

You can do this by clicking on the link shown in the picture below (make sure you're signed into Google first):

This is where you click to add widgets to your homepage 

Step 7.

Now add the Reader widget

On the page the 'Add Stuff' link takes you to you, do the following 3 things:

1. Type 'reader' into the search box.
2. Add the widget titled "Google Reader (labs)"
3. Click Back to iGoogle homepage.

These 3 steps are shown here:

Follow the 3 steps above, and you will have your feeds on your iGoogle homepage! 

And you're done!

That's it!

You can now subscribe to as many blogs as you like, and when a blog is updated... it will show on your Google homepage! So every time you open your web browser or visit your homepage you will be able to see at a glance if any of your favourite blogs have been updated.

So go wild, subscribe to cool stuff, and post a comment below if this has helped you!

Thanks :)

P.S.

Here's what you will finish up with!

A google homepage, with a little box which functions as your inbox to the WEB.

Just like the pictures below.

This is what your reader widget will look like, listing your new posts 

And when you click one of the latest posts open, it pops up in a nice big speech bubble right there on your homepage! 

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Hello! My name is Lewis. I wrote this page as a guide for everyone who wants to keep up with loads of different sites around the web.
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