Blogs and RSS Feeds – What Why and How?
Steven M. Cohen
Rivkin Radler LLP
Library Stuff
October 20st, 2004
Topics Covered
• Weblogs - What? How? Why? Where? Who? When?
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
What?
• Website, listed chronologically, with written content and links.
• Most use software for easy publication.
• Calendars, Permalinks, Archives, RSS, blogroll, comments.
• Easy Easy Easy Easy Easy…
What? (Examples)
• Library Stuff (www.librarystuff.net)
• LISNews (http://www.lisnews.com)
• Resourceshelf (http://www.resourceshelf.com)
• The Shifted Librarian (http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com)
• Librarian.net (http://www.librarian.net)
How? (Software)
• Blogger (http://www.blogger.com)
• Movabletype (http://www.movabletype.org)
• Radio Userland (http://radio.userland.com)
• WordPress (http://www.wordpress.org)
• Live Journal (http://www.livejournal.com)
How? (Let’s Create one)
How? (Movabletype)
• Posting to a weblog with MovableType
Which? (Choosing One)
• $$$
• How do you get the software?
• Automatic archiving?
• Comments included?
• Spell check?
• Free Web Space?
Why? (Using Weblogs)
• Easy to distribute content
• Communication within the building (reference desk)
• Great for Library Web pages.
Why? (Examples)
• Library News
• Reference Desk Discussion (FARQs, patrons, etc)
• New Acquisitions.
• Consortia
• Book Clubs
• Backend CMS only
Why? (Advantages)
• Easy, Easy, Easy, Easy, Easy to publish
• No need to download software
• Open source, open access feeling
• Interactive
• No Rules
Why not? (Disadvantages)
• Information Overload?!
• Have to continuously update them
• Takes time on behalf of the writer
• Crossposting
• Subjective
• Reliability of content
• No Rules
Where? (Examples)
• Waterboro Public Library (http://www.waterborolibrary.org/blog.htm)
• Georgia State University Libraries (http://www.library.gsu.edu/news)
• Rosedale Public Library Blogger Book Club (http://www.roselle.lib.il.us/YouthServices/BookClub/Bloggerbookclub.htm)
Where? (Examples)
• Construction Diary (http://urbanafreelibrary.org/bldgblog.html)
• University of Minnesota Libraries (http://blog.lib.umn.edu)
• Wisconsin Library Association (http://wlaweb.blogspot.com/)
• Suburban Library System (http://www.sls.lib.il.us/)
Who? (Marketing)
• Stand out in the crowd.
• Ease of use
• Best way to publish without trade publications (on your own terms)
• Finding your niche (http://marylaine.com/exlibris/xlib185.html)
• Write everyday
Who? (Searching For Weblogs)
• Searching weblog content.– Feedster (http://www.feedster.com)– Blogdigger (
http://www.blogdigger.com) – Blogstreet – (
http://www.blogsteet.com)– Waypath (http://www.waypath.com) – Daypop (http://www.daypop.com)
Who? (LIS Specific)
• Peter Scott’s List (www.libdex.com/weblogs.html)
• LISBlogsource – (http://www.lisblogsource.net)
• ODP Library Weblogs – (http://tinyurl.com/ew7o)
• Blog Without a Library - (http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/links.html)
RSS 101
• Content from the Web which is parsed into a file (.xml or .rss or .php)
• Can only be read with a news aggregator or online “parser” code (which allows for RSS content to be viewed in html)
• Can’t be read in a browser on its own.• Look for the orange button!!!
Examples of Companies that Syndicate Content via RSS
• Chronicle of Higher Education
– http://chronicle.com/help/rss.htm
• Reuters
– (http://www.reuters.com/newsrss.jhtml)
• New York Times– http://www.nytimes.com/services/xml/rss/i
ndex.html
• Christian Science Monitor
– http://search.csmonitor.com/rss/index.html
News Aggregators 101
• Software – Client Based– Server Based
• Subscribe to sites by adding feeds.• Different aggregators that do basically the same thing.• Saves time • Content is syndicated into one place.• Look for the Orange Button
Library Stuff
Library Stuff RSS Feed
Library Stuff Raw Feed
News Aggregators
• Bloglines (Demo) – http://www.bloglines.com
• Net News Wire (Mac)– http://www.netnewswire.com
• Newzcrawler– http://www.newzcrawler.com
• Newsgator (Outlook)– http://www.newsgator.com
Web-Based Aggregators – 2 types
• Inernet-based tool that deliver specific feeds chosen by the creator(s)
– LISFeeds – www.lisfeeds.com
– EDU_RSS - www.downes.ca/edu_rss.htm
– Weblogs at Harvard – http://blogs.law.harvard.edu
Web-Based Aggregators – 2 types
• Internet-based tools that are chosen by the USER.
– Bloglines – www.bloglines.com– MyWireService -
www.mywireservice.com
– My Yahoo!! - http://my.yahoo.com
RSS Directories and Search Engines
• Syndic8
– http://www.syndic8.com
• Blogstreet
– www.blogstreet.com/rssdiscovery.html
• Auto Discovery
– Built-in to the aggregator
– RSS Explorer Toolbar
• (http://rssexplorer.planet-hood.com)
• News is Free
– http://www.newsisfree.com
RSS Search Engines
• Feedster– http://www.feedster.com
• Waypath– http://www.waypath.com
• Technorati– http://www.technorati.com
• Blogdigger– http://www.blogdigger.com/
index.html
• Google File type search
Customize your RSS
• Daypop– http://www.daypop.com
– After search find orange button
• Moreover– http://p.moreover.com/cgi-local/page?
k=librarian&o=rss
– Replace “librarian” with any keywords.
• Wired News
• Feedster search
More Customization
• Yahoo News Search - http://jeremy.zawodny.com/ynews-search-rss.php
• Hubmed – http://www.pmbrowser.info• Pubsub – http://www.pubsub.com • Topix – http://www.topix.com • Findory – http://www.findory.com • Usenet
– http://www.bitfolge.de/nntp2rss-en.html
Disadvantages of RSS
• No filtering by keyword
• Can become unruly, quickly
• Not Everything is RSSified
• Difficult to synchronize aggregator between multiple computers (but...)
Advantages of RSS
• Cutting edge technology• No advertisements to deal with• More and more join RSS every day• Saves lots of time (4 hours 30
minutes)• Can be syndicated onto a web site• Syndication works well for
frequently and infrequently update sites
Other RSS Stuff
Bloglet – Get RSS feeds via e-mail– http://www.bloglet.com
Thanks
Contact:
Web Form - http://www.librarystuff.net/contact.php
AOL IM – NYlibrarian
Phone – 516-357-3455