Secrets of RSS

This chapter is all about working with RSS and Web logs, or blogs. Blogs are Web logs of news items that are read by interested people, and RSS feeds are streams of news items that are read by interested people. Together, they're a natural combination. Blogs are maintained by server-side software, and that software can be adapted to automatically create a new RSS feed every time you post to a blog.

Here's how it works. You come up with a great new thought and log on to your blogging site. You create your new blog entry and post it, using the site's blogging software. The new blog entry appears as it should, and you're satisfied.

Behind the scenes, however, there's more going on. Most blogging sites automatically add your new blog entries as new items for your RSS feed. You don't have to do anything at all. Anyone who has subscribed to your feed is notified of the new item when they start their RSS reader.

As you can see, blogging and RSS are a natural fit. This chapter explores how to get a blog going that also creates an RSS feed for you automatically.