RSS (formally "RDF Site Summary", known colloquially as "Really Simple Syndication") is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a "feed", "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 their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually.
RSS content can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader" or an "aggregator". The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed's link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds.
The initials "RSS" are used to refer to the following formats:
* Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0);
* RDF Site Summary (RSS 1.0 and RSS 0.90);
* Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91).
The RSS formats were preceded by several attempts at syndication that did not achieve widespread popularity.
The basic idea of restructuring information about web sites goes back to as early as 1995, when Ramanathan V. Guha and others in Apple Computer's Advanced Technology Group developed the Meta Content Framework (MCF). For a more detailed discussion of these early developments, see the history of web syndication technology.
The peer-to-peer application BitTorrent has also announced support for RSS. Such feeds (also known as Torrent/RSS-es or Torrentcasts) will allow client applications to download files automatically from the moment the RSS reader detects them (also known as Broadcatching). Most common BitTorrent clients already offer RSS support.
See also:
* Aggregators;
* Atom;
* Podcasting;
* Syndication.
Mashup creators:
* Microsoft Popfly;
* Yahoo! Pipes;
* Netvibes.
Specifications:
* RSS 0.90 Specification;
* RSS 0.91 Spec, revision 3;
* RSS 1.0 Specifications (RDF Site Summary 1.0) Modules;
* RSS 2.0 Specification by Dave Winer;
* RSS 2.0 (2.0.10) specification by the RSS Advisory Board;
Articles:
* RSS Political Faq (Dave Winer);
* History of the RSS Fork (Mark Pilgrim);
* Building an RSS feed Tutorial with example.
