Simple Saturday - your Saturday tech tip

I suggested to a friend last week that they "follow" or "RSS" a blog. He wrote back that he did not know how to do that.  RSS's are one of the neatest things you'll ever use.  "RSS" stands for "really simple syndication."  And an "RSS Reader" will remind you anytime the writer of that blog or page makes changes to that page or blog. For the longest I would find a blog I liked and then either not remember where it was or just forget to go back. When I remembered I was way behind and had missed some stuff I liked.  An RSS reader will help with that.

I will try to keep this very simple:

1. There are a number of reader programs:  You can look around all you wish but I recommend Google Reader for it's ease of use and because if you start with it and ever determine to go to another one, most "Readers" will import from Google.  I'll tell you how to use Google Reader here.

2. Go to https://www.google.com/ and sign up for a free account. When you chose an email and password I recommend you email it to yourself at the email address you use and save that email (so if you forget the password or email address you can find it).

3. Log in at google.com.  When you do you will see a black "bar" that runs the length of your browser at the top.  It will say "Search - Images - Videos" etc.  The last word will be "More."  Click on it and it will open a drop down menu. At the bottom you will see the word "Reader."  Click on reader.

4. Near the top on the left you will see a rectangular box under the words "Google Reader" that says "Subscribe."  Click on that.

5. Go to any blog you enjoy reading or think you might like to follow - say for instance: http://thejenkinsinstitute.com/category/the-blog-that-binds/

or

http://thejenkinsinstitute.com/category/thoughts-from-the-mound/

Don't go to a specific "post" but to the blog itself. You'll know you are there when you scroll down and see the "beginning" of several blog posts.

6. In the URL bar at the top (that is where you will see the "address" - http://...).  Highlight that and copy it.

7. Go back and paste that into the box that came up under the subscribe button.  You are subscribed.

You can add as many as you wish to (I follow 144).  You can do this with blog or webpages or most anything that updates often.

One more thing. You can add Google Reader to your list of sites below the URL bar.  Highlight it and then drag it to that bar. Then anytime you want to check up on "your blogs" you can just click there.

BONUS: If you use Google Chrome - which is an excellent browser. You can add google reader as an "app" and you'll have a little box in the upper right corner that will have a number appear under it telling you when and how many posts are on the blogs you subscribe to that you have not read.

Hope all that helps.