How to read a website without visiting it.

How can you keep up to date and read a website without visiting it?

• You find a good website which is regularly updated.
• You want to keep up with new posts on the site.
• You don’t want to have to visit it to find out if there is anything new.

The answer is RSS – really simple syndication. So what is RSS?

It is just a way for websites which update regularly (blogs) to send out each new post (article) either to your email in box or RSS reader – such as Google Reader.

You have two options:

1. Sign up to get the posts sent to your email account, or;
2. Add the website to your RSS reader.

I recommend the second option but if you prefer the first then look for the form or link – like the one in the box to the right. You simply enter your email address. You will probably receive an authentication message and that’s it. Each post published on the site will be sent to you as an email. The downside is you have to give your email address.

Using an RSS reader

Sign up for an account with your chosen reader – I use Google Reader.

To add a site either :

1. In google reader click the “Add a subscription” button then enter the address of the website you want to keep up with, or;
2. When you are on the website click the symbol in the address bar, it will look something like the symbols below, depending on your browser. Then click the “add to google reader”. That’s it.
   

Now you just have to visit your reader and you can look at all the site you are interested in from the one place.