MassResources.org RSS Feed Help

• What is RSS?
• How do I use RSS?
• How do I subscribe to an RSS feed?
• How do I read the MassResources.org RSS feed?

What is RSS?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is an easy way for you to see when web sites have added new information you care about. Many web sites have RSS feeds, but some do not. Some web sites have several feeds, each about a different topic. Each feed is a list of headlines and short articles that let you know what is new on that web site about that topic. The articles have links to the web site for more information.

MassResources.org has one RSS feed. The MassResources.org RSS feed lets you know what is new on our web site. It has short articles about new benefit programs, updates for current programs, new topics, and other changes. Whenever we add something to our web site, or update our information, we add a headline and summary article to our RSS feed. For each headline, we include a link to our web site so you can read more.

How do I use RSS?

You need a special program called an RSS reader to read and subscribe to RSS feeds. The RSS reader displays the contents of RSS feeds for you, and also collects all of the information from the feeds you have subscribed to and puts it in one place. You can read all of your feeds from your reader, without having to visit different web sites.

Most browsers have built-in RSS readers. This makes it very easy to view and subscribe to RSS feeds. If your browser has this capability, you will usually see an RSS icon on the menu bar near the top of the computer screen. When you visit a web site that has an RSS feed, the RSS icon on the menu bar will be orange. If you click on the icon, you will see the contents of the feed and be able to subscribe to the feed if you choose. When you visit a web site that does not have an RSS feed, the RSS icon is gray.

If your computer's browser does not have a built-in RSS reader, then you need to use a separate RSS reader to read the feeds and subscribe to the ones you want. Many RSS readers are free and easy to use. Google Reader and Bloglines are two popular web-based RSS readers. You can find many other readers by searching for "free RSS readers" on any web search engine.

How do I subscribe to an RSS feed?

If your browser has a built-in RSS reader, you can read any web site's RSS feed by visiting the web site and clicking on the orange RSS icon on your browser's menu bar.

If you want to read a web site's RSS feed without visiting the web site, you must subscribe to it. You can subscribe to as many feeds as you want. Your RSS reader will have instructions on how to subscribe to a new feed. Most RSS readers have an "Add" or "Subscribe" button to add new feeds. They also let you search for new feeds.

Web sites with RSS feeds usually display an orange RSS icon on their home page. The RSS icon links to the feed file. The feed file is written in special code that your RSS reader understands. For example, the MassResources.org Home Page displays an RSS icon that links to the MassResources.org feed.

How do I read the MassResources.org RSS feed?

• If your browser has a built-in reader, you can click on the orange RSS icon on the menu bar at the top of your computer screen to view the feed.
• You can click on this RSS icon: to go to our RSS feed page.