 /Preface |
/News |
EditThisPage. |
|---|
- Add some anchors to make this page easier to navigate.
2005-03-09:
Started testing RssCalendar as a replacement for this site's RSS Feed capabilities.
Consider its use for a separate BmoMech category, or perhaps even as a separate Calendar.
- Would it be more efficient to have Individuals create separate Categories in their own Calendars, or to have a Group Calendar?
- ...
This site's RssFeeds stopped working early in 2005.
- The Site provider expressed 'no interest' in making this feature work again.
- Alternatives are being considered as of 2005-03-06.
Guidelines are being developed.
- In the meantime, feel free to contact DfxNkb for assistance.
- Any and all suggestions are more than welcome!
This page segment should stress beneficial uses.
A few benefits to RssFeed use:
- Setting your RssFeed aggregator to 'subscribe' to a specifc page, ensures you are informed, as (in)frequently as you wish of changes. This means you do not have to remember to check (yet another in-basket).
- RssFeed(s) dramaticqally increase you productivity since you can monitor Subjects of interest without having to spend the time to check a lot of separate sites.
Ideally, individuals who share an interest will be able to rely on one another to monitor specific feeds and aggregate them further on behalf of others.
- This is something that all of us have been doing since the early days of the RtPil, and proably even before that. This is just a more efficient way of doing what we've always naturally enjoyed.
Hwo believes there should be some comments here that explain the Benefits of an RssFeed, since most people, by default, will not bother.
- This may mean that he has to write them himself, or that he will be pleased if...
- Others are more than welcome to contribute.
- ...
RSS Feed (Really Simple Syndication)
What is it?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format designed for the syndication of headline news (and news-like) information directly to your computer. Readers (or aggregators) are installed to look similar to an inbox, where news items issued from various sites pop up on a regular basis, in an easy-to-read format. By double-clicking on the item, a new browser may open, giving you access to all further information available either on that piece or from that site.
Almost anything that can be broken down into discrete items can be syndicated via RSS: the “recent changes” from a Wiki page, news items from sites such as Wired, CNN or CBC, or even personal weblogs.
Changes to favorite websites can be tracked easily and regularly (your RSS reader can be set up to check as often as you’d like). Items will either be displayed as headlines (as in the case of Yahoo news, for example) or as webpages (CBC News). Unread news items will be in bold, and it’s likely you’ll receive an announcement window, popping up briefly in the bottom right of your screen. Updated items already in your inbox will appear in bold and italics.
To get RSS news aggregator capabilities installed to your computer:
- First, ensure your computer is readily armed with Microsoft.Net Framework 1.1. If required, this can be obtained by scanning the ‘recommended updates’ at the Microsoft Windows Update website. (This document assumes the user is using Microsoft Windows, and not a Mac)
- Next, download any one of the RSS Feeder software available for free. We’ve used SharpReader? (although many exist). To obtain this version, please go to:
http://www.sharpreader.net - To obtain the latest version, click your mouse on the “Installer” feature, and indicate “Open” in the resulting File Download Box.
- You will be taken through a set-up wizard. Installation is easily obtained by clicking “next” throughout the set-up, and then “install”.
- Your Reader will come with some default sites, but you can further subscribe to any site offering RSS feeds (they will have an orange XML box, or other RSS indication). You might also be sent an invitation to subscribe to a secure site, at which time the link and any required user names/passwords will be made available.
To subscribe for Feeds:
- RSS feeds aren’t always obvious on various news sites, but can normally be found by investigating the “free headlines” or “get news” areas of the site.
- Exploring CBC.ca’s news page, there’s an RSS link available:
- This particular site will provide various subscription options (top stories, Canadian News, Regional news, sports, etc). Click the orange XML box next to your chosen section.
- Signing up for “world news” will open a new page with programming language. Highlight the entire webaddress in the “Address” box, and right click. Select “Copy”
- Open your RSS Reader. In the blank Address Box at the top, paste the copied address from the identified webpage, and hit ENTER on your keyboard.
- Click on the “Subscribe” box (it’s normally faded).
Setting up the Properties and Getting Around:
- A right click on the Subscription in the left-hand box will provide a link to open the Properties box for that feed.
- The Refresh Rate can be customized by opening the drop-down box shown by “refresh rate”.
- More information on how to use the software, a Frequently Asked Questions section, and popular RSS subscription sites can be found in the “Help” section.
- Items can be prioritized for easy sorting by highlighting the news item, right clicking and selecting “Flag”.
- News items can be easily deleted by right-clicking and selecting “delete item”. Similarly, Feeds can be unsubscribed from just as easily.
RSS news:
The CBC (CbcCa) now provides an RSS ( ReallySimpleSyndication ) feed.
-
- Consider how this may impact Donna's 'News' activities.
-
Yahoo! also provides extensive references and resources for this technology.
- ... add the URL ...
The Register
- http://www.theregister.co.uk/odds/about/el_reg_rss/
- replace this with a more direct link.
Technical investigations:
- In spite of some apparent problems in that the messages that are received cannot yet have adequate Descriptors, selected pages will none the less provide usefull notifications to anyone that subscribes to the feed that can be found on a page's History.
- /ByPhpWiki has failed, supressing the Edit page. Create an external Edit link using intermap.
- ...|
As for tracking certain pages, the phpwiki can only allow you to see all changes that are happening or changes on one single page. There is no way to group pages.
I am testing out the calendar function to see if anything makes things possible there.
Notes at: DfxNkb
see: hwo/2004-12-17 2004-12-17:
/.