Module 8

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) has been around for years now but I have to admit I probably have not used it to its full potential. The principal of RSS is great. Rather than following several bloggers for example, you can set up a gadget to have information e.g updates sent directly to your own blog. So if someone writes a new post you can be notified through an RSS feed. I have previously used RSS in MyClasses by copying the code from different sites and pasting it in a DYI property. This was handy because when I logged on each day I was able to get the latest news headlines and topics of radio broadcasts I was following on my own desktop. I did not have to go directly to their site. Like many Web 2.0 tools, RSS feeds make a life a little bit easier by allowing us to track what going on around us without having to leave our own page. Google Reader works in a similar way but is much easier, you can search for other bloggers and just add yourself as a follower and any updates with come straight through to Google Reader. Right now I am following the other Web 2.0 course participants from my school. Each time they add a post I can see it in Google Reader. This tool could be great for students if they were each managing a blog.