Tollbooth Links
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You've probably been seeing more and more links appearing on the web -- particularly on blogs -- with titles such as 'syndicate this (xml)', 'RSS Feed', 'Atom Feed' and so on. Since Tollbooth News now has such links, here's a quick guide to what they are, to help you take advantage of them.
Put simply, these links allow for a much simpler way of keeping up to date with your favourite websites. Instead of having to visit sites to check if there's anything new, RSS or Atom (two different formats for capturing the information needed) will allow software on your computer to check for you and alert you when there's something new to read.
To use them you will need a piece of software called a newsreader, there are some web-based newsreaders which allow you to check all your favourite websites through one site. Of those, we recommend Bloglines or Newsgator.
Alternatively, you can install a newsreader directly on your computer. If that's your preferred route we recommend:
Windows:
Mac:
If you use the Firefox Web Browser that has its own support for these feeds called 'live bookmarks'. You can find out more about that here.
Clicking on the links in the left-hand bar will take you to the tollbooth's feeds. Your software will come with instructions on how to subscribe to a feed. Whether you use RSS or Atom is mainly a matter of preference. The 'Sub|Bloglines' button will take you directly to a page to subscribe to the feed through bloglines.