Syndicating Web Sites with RSS Feeds For Dummies is your friendly guide to all things RSS. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication (among other possible things), so you hold in your hands a “really simple book” that anyone can use to create news feeds quickly and easily. I start with lots of information about RSS readers so that you can get started reading feeds first, and then I move on to give you the information you need to create feeds yourself.

After I had maintained my own Web site for several years, I had the opportunity to teach several courses on creating Web sites. Being a writer, I naturally emphasized the importance of content and organization. Then I started an e-mail newsletter and saw firsthand some of the problems that entails. When I first heard about RSS, I was immediately excited about the possibilities and thought it was a great idea. (My publisher took longer to come around!) And I was impressed with how quickly it seemed to be catching on. Having written books on several other computer topics, I decided that I wanted to write a book on RSS. The only book available on the subject was directed toward programmers. I thought that people who weren’t programmers also needed a tool to help them get started with RSS. After all, most people who have Web sites are not programmers; they are people who want to sell a product or service, or communicate news and ideas. These people need RSS, too.

Because RSS is fairly new, many people who want to create RSS feeds have never even subscribed to one. So I cover the topic from the beginning, assuming that you aren’t already subscribed to dozens of feeds. The rest of the book provides you with the tools you need to create your own RSS feeds. I also ruminate on best practices and ways to promote your feed — and your Web site. RSS is a rapidly expanding field, and it seems as if each day brings a new twist. I explain some of the more interesting uses for RSS, such as podcasting and republishing RSS feeds on your site.