RSS readers

Anyone reading an occasional blog like this one, or indeed doing any significant blog-reading, really ought to be using an RSS reader to do it. It’s a little hard to describe just how powerful a good RSS reader can be, but fortunately they’re mostly free, and you can find out painlessly on your own.

Mac users should download a copy of the excellent NetNewsWire (go ahead; I’ll wait for you to come back). Users of other platforms, including iPhone and Windows, have other choices. Here’s a starting point; I don’t have first-hand knowledge here.

Safari, Firefox and I suppose other browsers also have an RSS subscription feature. They work OK for very limited use, and they’re better than nothing. Look for “RSS” in your browser’s help.

The basic idea of RSS (in this context; it has other applications) is that your RSS reader checks a list of blogs or news feeds on your behalf and makes it easy to see what’s new, and easy to read new material when it shows up.

You won’t look back.

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