Wondering why you’re seeing this symbol practically everywhere these days?
This is the symbol for RSS, which stands for “Really Simple Syndication”. You may also hear folks using the term “feed” or “web feed”. You can use RSS to keep up with the overwhelming stream of online information we’re trying to wade through every day.
As useful as feeds are, they can be a real pain to explain to my clients. XML? Feed aggregator? Huh? I can see my students’ eyes glazing over. After searching for a truly plain English explanation to use, I found this video, appropriately titled “RSS in Plain English”, which was produced by Common Craft Productions. It’s the best explaination of feeds and RSS that I’ve seen, and it’s fun, too! Take a look:
