Most RSS feeds make use of the related standards RSS 0.91 or 2.0 both of which are similar. A 1.0 version also exists that contains RDF metadata to make it more robust and in so doing splits the standards into two groups. In the end ir may not matter what standard you choose initially but it does matter what tool you use to create your channel.
At present the accessible tools produce RSS 0.91 feeds. All major news aggregators support all the formats. There are advantages to 1.0 and 2.0 standards but you can start now with the easiest one upgrade at a later stage.
Steps to Set Up an RSS Feed
1. Create a Channel
* If you intend to create an RSS news channel featuring the various articles on your site or in your e-mail newsletter, there are four main choices available to you:
* You could choose to build your RSS feed from the bottom up using Notepad as a platform but this is not recommended.
* Construct it via an RSS syndication tool built into your content management or blogger software.
* Use a stand-alone tool like RSS Channel Editor as a platform for your RSS feed.
* Make use of a software tool that scans your site and uses the most important information it finds there. Using this tool may result in garbled information unless you customize it and mark the appropriate sections. (http://www.myRSS.com)
A program that allows the retrieval of a current RSS file and edit or make additions - up to 15 articles. WebReference will produce 0.91 output.
2. Upload the File
Using the RSS Channel Editor, click ‘Build RSS’. Next copy and paste the code to a file. You can use .RSS, .rdf, .xml as a file extension. Use your FTP program to upload your file to your Web server. In this location it can be viewed and checked automatically by news aggregators.
3. Validate the XML
Now check the RSS file, making sure it is free from errors. Use FEED Validator for RSS and Atom feeds (http://www.feedvalidator.org) to fix code errors.
4. Advertise Your RSS Feed
This step will tell others about your new feed. There are two steps to the process:
Start by putting a XML icon on your website which is hyperlinked to the RSS feed. If your site users have news aggregators, they will know how to subscribe to the channel. They can right-click the icon and select subscribe, for example.
Next you can register your RSS feed with several. Syndic8 (www.syndic8.com) is huge and won’t cost you a cent. Register your feed and choose ‘Suggest’ to get the URL of your RSS feed.
Once it has been reviewed and approved, it appears in the Syndic8 directory. Also try
NewsIsFree.
5. Maintaining Your RSS Feed
Keep your feed up-to-date by adding new articles via the RSS Channel Editor. Each new article on your Web site should be listed in your RSS feed. Do this on a regular basis and your customers will be able to rely on your feed to inform them of new content.
Display Your RSS Feed on Your Home Page
You may not find this appropriate in all cases but you might want to display your RSS feed on your home page as an indicator of new content within the site. You can convert RSS to HTML by using, for example, News Feed Services from David Carter-Tod. Simply include this URL plus a pointer to your RSS feed URL on your webpage. It will produce code which places the feed on your page. No need to install any code on your server http://www.wc.cc.va.us/services/news/.
