OT Who uses RSS?

[Metspitzer]

I use Google Reader. GR gets the job done, but it is a little quirky. The biggest draw back is that if you don't read all the new messages in a group or folder, you have to go back through and read the "older" new messages to get to the unread new messages. Putting less feeds in more folders lets you check a small amount of new feeds, but if you have a folder with many new messages you usually can't read all the messages in a group at one time.

Anyone have a better RSS reader than GR? Is there an active Usenet group that discusses RSS?

[Home Guy]

Why don't you use a real usenet client program?

Most any e-mail software is also a usenet client.

As I've told this group (alt.home.repair) many times - google gropes is a piss-poor way to experience usenet.

Nothing says you're a stupid noobie more than using google gropes.

(I removed talk.origins from this reply. What the hell is talk.origins?)

[Ron]

Google Reader and Google Groups are 2 different things.

Also, he is using Forte Agent.

[Metspitzer]

Only RSS is not Usnet. I can put you for "no" I don't know what RSS is.

[Doug]

I use RSS but I thought that's what it's called by?? I wasn't aware there are clones of it. I use it from time to time but to be honest, don't know much about it or in comparison to others (if any). I don't really have any complaints about it.

[Metspitzer]

If you like to read, and I bet about 100 percent of the people reading this do, RSS is useful.

Google Reader does the job, and is a good place to start, but I hope RSS popularity grows soon and more interest goes into Readers. Searching for other readers gets many results, but I am very reluctant putting any 3rd party software on my machine.

Some people like to test drive software. I don't.

[Nil]

On 13 Apr 2012, Metspitzer wrote in alt.home.repair:

I like Feedreader:

It's a little raw, and it seems to have been abandoned by its authors. But I like the way it works, and use it daily.

[Doug]

I understand. Many alternatives for testing software but one of my favorites is vmware. I guess an easy alternative is just make a backup before installation as well as a restore point.

[Doug]

I think my RSS feeds are added thru my browser Firefox tho I haven't been able to prove it to my own satisfaction yet.

[Grumpy]

opera thunderbird seamonkey all 3 of the above have a rss reader built in.

[Metspitzer]

I just tried thunderbird. One thing I consider a must is a feature I haven't found in any other RSS reader. With Google Reader you can hit the "subscribe button" and just put "cnn.com" GR is smart enough to know that you want the site's RSS feed.

Thunderbird does not to this. I also tried to go to CNN and use the RSS menu there. Since I have GR and Tbird, it defaults to GR. I am sure if I mess with it a little more it might figure it out, but since it does not know that "cnn.com" is a news feed, I need to try something else.

Thanks

[Steven L.]

I use Microsoft Outlook to read my email. And it has RSS capability built in. The feeds just look like other email folders. With the "NewsHound" add-in, I read and post my Usenet news on Outlook too (like I'm doing right now).

-- Steven L.

[TomR]

I'm with you on this one. I would like an explanation in baby terms too. I have checked a number of times in the past to try to figure out what RSS is and all I get is something about it being a news feed for frequently changing websites, or somethin glike that. I have no idea what that means. I have a hunch that it is something like Twitter which I take to mean people blasting out a bunch of content in no particular order that I have no interest in reading. But I could be way off on that.

If someone could give me just one example of an RSS feed (whatever that is) that they use, and how they set it up and actually use it, I would be appreciate it.

Maybe I'll try doing a search for "What is RSS" on YouTube and see if there is a video that SHOWS me what it is.

I use Usenet every day and have for years, so I am not a complete newbie.

[Metspitzer]

For starters, and until I find better software, just get Google Reader.

Next time you go to a web page that you enjoy reading, use the GR "subscribe" button and put the URL into the input box.

GR only shows the last 10 articles as new, but it will list every article the site has. If the site is updated frequently, you don't have to check the actual site. GR will give you a summary of the articles from all the web sites you subscribe to.

[DerbyDad03]

Nothing says you're a stupid noobie more than thinking that Google Reader and Google Groups are the same thing.

[Metspitzer]

I just tried Opera on my spare machine. I have not been able to find the option to directly enter a URL. When I select RSS from a site it does default to opera. I really like the "direct URL" option though because some web sites you really have to hunt for the RSS option.

I will mess with Opera more and see.

Thanks

[Metspitzer]

Anyone try RSS and not like it? I am still using GR. Putting less feeds in more folders so the daily limit for new news is around 25 usually lets me read a block of headers completely so all of the new headlines in a folder are marked read.