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Using Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to Publish Content

Using Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to Publish Content. Andrea Mostyn, University Communications, Assistant Director Moby Thomas, University Communications GA John McMellen, KSMU, Senior Broadcast Engineer David Porter, KSMU GA. Most common applications of RSS in academic settings.

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Using Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to Publish Content

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  1. Using Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to Publish Content Andrea Mostyn, University Communications, Assistant Director Moby Thomas, University Communications GA John McMellen, KSMU, Senior Broadcast Engineer David Porter, KSMU GA

  2. Most common applications of RSS in academic settings • Media relations/press releases • Events/calendars • Employment vacancies • Libraries/recently catalogued materials • Prospective student blogs • College/department updates • To see examples, google “rss” and “university”

  3. Campus applications of RSS • Broadcast Services – KSMU • University Communication

  4. Introduction to RSS • What is RSS and where did it come from? • What type of information benefits from the “pull” method of RSS? • How is it used?

  5. Technical details of typical implementations • 3 different ways to get there • Free, but manual and labor intensive (i.e. Notepad and some web server space) • Medium cost, easier (i.e. Dreamweaver and some web server space) • Expensive, very simple and automated (i.e. sophisticated Content Management System) • Server requirements • Client requirements and setup

  6. Broadcast Services - KSMU • Expensive method – Content Management System handles input and dynamically generates Web and RSS output • RSS also used to generate “podcasts” • Requires setup, training, and maintenance

  7. Broadcast Services - KSMU • Links from the home page to the generated feed • Using XSL stylesheets, browsers can convert the RSS to formatted HTML • <LINK> tag in home page header makes auto discovery of feeds possible

  8. With XSL stylesheets, go from this…

  9. …To this

  10. <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title=“…" href=“…"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title=“…" href=“…">

  11. University CommunicationsRSS version 2.0 <?xml version="1.0" ?> <rss version="2.0"> <channel> <title>Missouri State University News</title> <description>The office of university communications at Missouri State University is your connection to the university community. </description> <link>http://www.news.missouristate.edu</link> <item> <title>Feb 24, 2006 - University debate team receives first ever first-round id</title> <description>The Missouri State University debate team will compete at the National Debate Tournament, and this time the team was invited with a first-round at-large bid Michael Mapes and Matthias Bostick are guaranteed the chance to debate at nationals.</description> <link>http://www.news.missouristate.edu/news/releases/feb06/debateteam.htm</link> </item> <item> <title>Feb 24, 2006 - Festival brings movie industry experts to Springfield</title> <description>Missouri State University, in association with the Moxie Theatre, the Creamery Arts Center and Drury University, will host the inaugural Show-Me Missouri International Film Festival March 2-5. </description> <link>http://www.news.missouristate.edu/news/releases/feb06/festival.htm</link> </item> </channel> </rss>

  12. University Communications Editor: Macromedia Dreamweaver

  13. University Communications Validate the Code

  14. University CommunicationsHome Page

  15. University CommunicationsWhat is RSS?

  16. University CommunicationsBrowser View of XML file

  17. University CommunicationsReader View of XML file

  18. How will people view my RSS content? • Many use an RSS reader or “aggregator” • This is a special kind of software for viewing news feeds provided by websites. • You can download for free or use a pay version • It is a simple program that lets you pick up news websites all over the Internet. Any news site that displays the or can be quickly loaded into your personal reader. • It will bring all the news you want without any of the problems associated with email and is usually spam-free.

  19. RSS Reader • The reader continuously updates news from all of the selected sources you've chosen. • You can keep some news sources right on the front page, order them any way you wish and keep others in a library in the background. • The reader can be customized to display headlines; headlines and story leads; or headlines, story leads and graphics. • When you visit any website that displays or to pick up the news stream, merely click on the link, copy it to your reader and the news from that source immediately begins streaming through your reader. That news then updates whenever you refresh the page.

  20. Types of Readers • Portals • E.g., My Yahoo ,My MSN, My AOL ,Personalized Google Homepage • Web-based • E.g., Bloglines, Google Reader • Desktop based • E.g., Feed Demon, NetNewsWire, Straw • Outlook based • E.g., NewsGator, IntraVnews

  21. How other institutions use RSS • Gustavus University • http://www.gustavus.edu/xml/index.cfm • Alumni, athletics, employment, news, parents • Includes user-friendly introduction to RSS • Allows users to subscribe to all feeds or to any of 30+ individual feeds

  22. How other institutions use RSS

  23. How other institutions use RSS • University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School • http://adcomblog.wharton.upenn.edu/ • Admissions blog • Helps prospective students prepare to apply to business school • Alerts blog users to new content • Users may subscribe to specific categories

  24. How other institutions use RSS

  25. What are some other uses of RSS? • Multimedia delivery • Works In Progress • Microsoft SSE – “Really Simple Sharing” • Google Base – Online database of lists of items • Messaging and application synchronization • Google Calendar – Event exchange

  26. Questions?

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