Blogs

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Blogs RSS Feeds
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What is a blog?

• A web log
• Definition by Darlene Fichter.a blog is a web
  page containing brief entries arranged
  chronologically.
• Frequency, brevity, personality

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Why would you create a blog?

• Blogging technology is easy to use and
  inexpensive.
• It is a great way to distribute information that
  changes on a regular basis.

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Why would you create a blog for your library?

• You could create a library blog to
• Share information (think new books, new
  electronic resources, password changes)
• Recommend Internet sites
• Market library services
• Share tips and tricks

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Why would you create a blog for your library?

• Get beyond the stereotype of blogs as being
  personal, online journals.
• Blogs reduced to their bare bones are simply web
  pages with short entries in reverse chronological
  order that can be categorized by subject.
• Great way to distribute information that changes
  on a regular basis

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What is RSS?

• RSS is an XML format for syndication of current
  web content
• Rich site summary or really simple syndication.
  Really simple syndication is probably the most
  agreed upon choice for this acronym.
• Think of it as a distributable Whats New for a
  website, think headlines, updates, new postings

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What is RSS?

• RSS allows users to receive notification of
  current content without having to visit the web
  sites of interest to determine if they have been
  updated
• Allows you to keep track of a large number of
  websites in a short period of time

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What is RSS?

• RSS originally became popular with the increased
  use of blogs
• Blogs generate RSS feeds. Automatic feed
  creation is a feature of most blogging software

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How do I read RSS feeds?

• Two primary categories of feed reading
  applications installable desktop programs and
  online services
• These services are called aggregators
• Popular desktop programs are FeedDemon and
  NetNewswire
• The most popular online service is Bloglines

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RSS aggregators
Content of selected feed
List of RSS feeds that you subscribe to
Bloglines notifier
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RSS aggregators

• MyFeedster, DailyRotation, Newsgator, Newscrawler
  and MyYahoo! are other popular services
• You need an email address to register and login

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Adding RSS feeds

• Add subscriptions by adding URLs
• Click on the orange box and copy URL from top of
  XML file

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What is the difference between blogs and RSS?

• Delivery difference
• Content difference
• Reader-tool difference
• Blogs offer RSS feeds
• RSS and email are content delivery channels.
• Blogs are an internet media content format

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Bloglines for email discussion lists

• Bloglines email subscriptions
• You can create an unlimited number of special
  Bloglines email addresses that are tied to your
  Bloglines account. The email addresses show up as
  subscriptions in your My Blogs page, and email
  sent to those email addresses appears as new
  items.

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Using RSS feeds and Bloglines email subscriptions
instead of email alerts

• Reduction of spam
• Easy viewing
• No need for Out of Office
• Reduce Inbox clutter
• No rejection by servers

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Getting started with RSS blogs

• Cindy Chicks RSS Tutorial

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Some blogs that I subscribe to the RSS feeds for

• Canadian Privacy Law Blog
• Michael Geists Privacy Law
• Tara Calishains Research Buzz
• Cindy Chicks LawLib Tech Blog
• Steve Matthews Vancouver Law Librarian Blog
• Connie Crosbys Law Library Blog
• SLAW
• Google Weblog
• Gary Prices Resource Shelf
• Search Engine Watch Blog

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RSS feeds that I subscribe to that arent blogs

• Genie Tyburskis The Virtual Chase
• Sabrina Pacificis beSpacific
• CBC News
• Law.com newswire
• Globe Mail business headlines

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Getting started with blogs RSS

• Cindy Chicks RSS Tutorial available at her blog
  at http//www.lawlibtech.com/
• Part One What is RSS? http//lawlibtech.com/archi
  ves/000314.html
• Part Two Getting started with RSS aggregators
  http//lawlibtech.com/archives/000319.html
• Part Three Using Bloglines http//lawlibtech.com/
  archives/000324.html
• Part Four News, news and more news
  http//lawlibtech.com/archives/000338.html
• Definition of blog from wikipedia -
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
• Some Blogs and RSS Feeds that you might like to
  subscribe to
• beSpacific http//www.bespacific.com
• Connie Crosby http//conniecrosby.blogspot.com/
• Law Lib Techhttp//www.lawlibtech.com/
• TVC Alerthttp//www.virtualchase.com/tvcalert/inde
  x.html
• Vancouver Law Librarian Blog http//vancouverlawli
  b.blogspot.com/
• Resource Shelf http//www.resourceshelf.com/
• Canadian Privacy Law Blog http//www.privacylawyer
  .ca/blog/
• Search Engine Watch Blog http//blog.searchenginew
  atch.com/blog/
• SLAW http//www.slaw.ca/
• Research Buzz http//www.researchbuzz.org/
• Google Weblog http//google.blogspace.com/

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Articles

• Chris Sherman, What is RSS and Why Should You
  Care http//searchenginewatch.com/searchday/artic
  le.php/3530926
• Chris Sherman, Choosing a RSS Reader
  http//searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php
  /3531486
• Darlene Fichter, Why and How to Use Blogs to
  Promote Your Library's Services
  http//www.infotoday.com/mls/nov03/fichter.shtml
  
• Darlene Fichter, Blogging Explosion Libraries
  and Weblogs http//library.usask.ca/fichter/talks
  03/il/2003.10.28.blogging.pps)