What Is An RSS Feed?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS feeds provide summaries of web site content allowing frequent users to easily track site updates and additions without having to actually visit the site. Lots of news organizations use RSS to provide subscribers with current news events. The biggest advantage of using and RSS feed is that you don’t have to visit a web site, the information comes to you.

What Will The RSS Feed Do For Me?

Gretchen’s RSS feeds provide you with current news, tour dates and blog postings. All news items, tour dates and blog postings are are included the main feed. You can also subscribe to each category individually. If you subscribe to one or more of the feeds you will receive updates about news, tour dates and blog postings as soon as they are published on the web site. Again, you don’t have to worry about coming to the website and checking for new information. It will come directly to you!

How Do I Subscribe?

The first thing you need is a “news reader.” There are a variety of options available. One of the most popular is the web based Google Reader. It allows you to subscribe to feeds and gives you many options for organizing and getting the most out of your feed subscriptions. Most “modern” web browsers have built in RSS capabilities which allow you to view RSS feeds from directly within the browser itself. These include current versions of Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Internet Explorer. You will know that an RSS feed is available from a particular site if you see the RSS logo in the URL address bar (Internet Explorer displays an icon in the menu bar). Simply click on the RSS logo to view the feed. There are also many “stand alone” programs which you may download and install on your computer or hand held device, such as iPads and iPhones. All of these options allow you to display and subscribe to the RSS feeds you want.

Which Method Should I Use?

Either method (viewing RSS feeds via Google Reader, within your browser or installing a stand alone program) will work. The main advantage to using Google Reader or a stand alone program is that you can subscribe to as many feeds as you want. Then, every time you open the program, all of your feeds will be automatically updated. This way you can browse multiple feeds from one easy location. For instance, you might have feeds from Gretchen, USA Today, CMA, The New York Times and lots more. Some people just subscribe to a few feeds. Others have been known to subscribe to hundreds! If you use a browser you’ll have to navigate to each feed you wish to browse. So, using Google Reader or a stand alone program can make feeds much more efficient.

Recommended Programs

We recommend FeedDemon for Windows users and their sister product, NetNewsWire for Macintosh users. These are the best RSS stand alone programs we have found. And both are free! Not only that, they allow you to synch with NewsGator to also read all your feeds in one easy place on the web if you are away from your computer. For the iPad or iPhone we really like Reeder and Early Edition 2, both of which can be found in the iTunes App Store.

OK, How Do I Start?

If you wish to use a web browser to view and/or subscribe to the feed you can see the main RSS icon at the right hand side of the URL bar on every page of Gretchen’s site.

If you wish to use Google Reader or a stand alone RSS reader use these addresses to subscribe to the feeds:

Main (has all info): http://www.gretchenpeters.com/feed
Tour dates only: http://www.gretchenpeters.com/category/tour/feed/
New items only:  http://www.gretchenpeters.com/category/news/feed/
Blog postings only: http://www.gretchenpeters.com/category/blog/feed/

Have Questions?

Feel free to contact ourfor help.