RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, and is a way of keeping track of new material on participating websites.
Why are they cool?
Do you have a number of websites you visit regularly to check for new posts or news? Do you like to view webcomics or follow particular youtube channels? Do you want to be advised of new job advertisements relevant to your industry or new houses for sale in your area? RSS feeds allow you to collate all this information into a single location, and let you know when there is something new to read. They streamline and simplify your web experience by bringing the information you want to you as it happens.
How do I start?
There are a number of programs that can keep track of your feeds, but Google Reader is a good place to get started. It is a web-based service for web content, so you can access your feeds from your computer, laptop, phone, Mac Windows or Linux - anywhere.
The first thing you will need to do is visit http://www.google.com/reader
If you have a Gmail account or similar Google log-in, you can use those details to log in. Otherwise, you will need to follow the instructions to set up a Google account.
After that, you're in! You should see a screen similar to the following:
Of course, you won't have any RSS feeds yet. You will need to go out and find some to add!
How do I add RSS feeds?
Look for this icon. It may appear on the page, or up in the address bar:
When you click on an RSS icon, it should give you a link such as this one:
http://zombieomg.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
Copy this link then go to Google Reader.
Click on the Add a subscription button, paste your link into the field provided and click Add.
Voila! This is now one of your feeds. When new posts are added to that page, you will see this on your Google Reader page, and can read this at your leisure. You can add as many feeds you have time for and explore them all from the comfort of a single webpage. It's like creating your own digital newspaper that drags in all the content you are interested in.
NOTES:
This wikipedia page has a roundup of popular RSS programs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_feed_aggregators
Google Reader help: http://www.google.com/support/reader/?hl=en
Some recommended feeds:
Courier Mail: http://feeds.news.com.au/public/rss/2.0/bcm_news_69.xml
Dilbert: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DilbertDailyStrip
Lifehacker: http://feeds.lifehacker.com.au/LifehackerAustralia
Punch Debt In The Face: http://www.punchdebtintheface.com/feeds/posts/default
ThinkGeek: http://www.thinkgeek.com/thinkgeek.rss
Grant The Polite Guy: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Grant-ThePoliteGuy
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