How to subscribe to my blog.

Ok, there is an option at the very bottom of the last post on this page, which reads "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)". On other websites, you may often see a little icon like this, which is essentially the same thing:

What is this you ask? Well the link above is called an Atom feed, and the icon is an RSS feed. Need more info? This is from Wikipedia:

"RSS is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines, and podcasts. An RSS document (which is called a "feed" or "web feed" or "channel") contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with web sites in an automated manner that can be piped into special programs or filtered displays."

So essentially, you download a program through which you can "subscribe" to as many feeds as you want, and each time any of those sites are updated, it is sent straight to that program. This removes the need for constant checking of websites, and allows you to receive the latest news from various sources instantly and all in one place.

I am currently subscribed to the Bangkok Post, SBS World News, The Barefoot Investor's articles, and The Elders RSS feeds.

So how to subscribe? You first need to download a program to syndicate the feeds. I use Sharpreader, and I'm pretty happy with it. It runs in the background and anytime something new comes in, it flashes up a little unobtrusive alert so you know. To install it, go here to download the "installer" (see top of page). Once you have installed it and opened it, it will look like this without any of the feeds you can see there:

Now, to subscribe to a feed, you must first right-click on the RSS icon, or the Atom link as they are shown above, and choose "copy shortcut" or "copy link location" (whichever your browser throws at you).

Then, in Sharpreader, click File, and choose the top option "Open RSS Feeds". Then it will ask you to "type the internet address" of the feed into a box. You right click into the box, and paste the link you copied earlier. Ensure that the "subscribe to feed" box is ticked, then press ok.

Voila! You are now subscribed! You can do the same thing with my Atom link at the bottom of the page, or by copying the links to any of the feeds I mentioned I subscribed to earlier, or in fact any RSS or Atom link you see anywhere on the web! How cool!

You don't have to use sharpreader, I just demonstrated with it because it works for me and is easy to use. Most programs will be much the same.

To check your feeds when you start your computer, just open Sharpreader like any other program, and it will then be open in your taskbar just next to where you see the time on your desktop. Double click this icon to open it again if it tells you there are new feeds, it will stay running and checking in the background! You get the latest headlines and what not delivered straight to you.

One thing about sharpreader, if you just click on the new feeds as they are shown in the image above, it will give you a summary of the content in the window below. To open the actual webpage in Sharpreader, just double click the feed. This way you can see the new info in context.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment or email me.

Enjoy the wealth of new information at your beck and call!

Jetsam

PS: If you have a suggestion for a computer tips article, just let me know and I will see what I can do ;)