RSS
Called a “lubricant” of the Internet, syndication protocols like RSS have enabled podcasting, news aggregation and content syndication to explode.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a simple XML-based system that allows users to subscribe to their favorite websites. Using RSS, webmasters can put their content into a standardized format, which can be viewed and organized through RSS-aware software or automatically conveyed as new content on another website.
The iSchool Portal News and Announcement function will be created with RSS embedded A program known as a feed reader or aggregator can check a list of feeds on behalf of a user and display any updated articles that it finds.
Various aspects of iSchool Portal can be monitored with RSS or Atom feeds, to make it easier for users to keep track of changes.
Oprah’s Definition
If you still do not get what it all means, In Oprah speak, RSS stands for: I’m “Ready for Some Stories”. It is a way online for you to get a quick list of the latest story headlines from all your favorite websites and blogs all in one place. How cool is that?
Suppose you have 50 sites and blogs that you like to visit regularly. Going to visit each website and blog everyday could take you hours. With RSS, you can “subscribe” to a website or blog, and get “fed” all the new headlines from all of these 50 sites and blogs in one list, and see what’s going on in minutes instead of hours. What a time saver!
How To Read an RSS?
RSS feeds bring automatically updated information straight to your desktop. You can monitor news, blogs, job listings, personals, and classifieds. More and more sites offer feeds, which you can identify by a small button that says either 
RSS or XML. However, if you click one of these links, you will most likely get a page full of code in your browser. To properly read the feed, you need an RSS reader.
How to Use it?
On Web pages, web feeds (RSS or Atom) are typically linked with the word “Subscribe”, an orange rectangle, or with the letters 
or 
. Many news aggregators publish subscription buttons for use on Web pages to simplify the process of adding news feeds.
A program known as a feed reader or aggregator can check a list of feeds on behalf of a user and display any updated articles that it finds. RSS-aware programs are available for various operating systems
Web-based feed readers and news aggregators such as YourLiveWire require no software installation and make the user’s “feeds” available on any computer with Web access. Some aggregators combine existing web feeds into new feeds, e.g., taking all football related items from several sports feeds and providing a new football feed.
An RSS newsreader lets you hunt for publications, wire services, blogs, podcasts, and video sites you like, and then subscribe to related content.
Along with mainstream news from daily papers and entertainment magazines, RSS lets you find feeds on almost any topic.
A Bulls fan could score the latest scoop on the team. The newly engaged could subscribe to wedding blogs by other couples.
School 2.0 Deployment
In our iSchool Portal deployment, apart from the usual RSS that is available for third parties to subscribed, we also use them in
- Software releases
- School News
- Examination Announcements
- Co-curriculum
Listen to “How To Understand RSS” RSS
Taken from Joshua Minton explains RSS technology