Today\'s entry is about the tool behind both Podcasts and Community Websites.  This tool is called RSS feeds.  RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.  This software allows us, the individual person, to syndicate our own blog sites and podcasts allowing our readers and listeners to subscribe to us.

A Podcast is simply an audio file that is enclosed into an RSS feed.  Without the RSS technology, a podcast is simply an audio file that will sit on a desktop, in a recorder, on a website etc.  But when this audio file is enclosed into an RSS feed, then people who are interested in the topic of the audio file can subscribe to the feed.  Once they subscribe to the feed, they no longer need to go to that website to get a new file; the new files will come to them. 

RSS turns audio feeds into broadcasts.  Podcasting is similar to TIVO for online audio content.  Basically, podcasting is a subscription-based delivery system for consumption of audio content online.  What makes podcasting a unique marketing and communication tool is that it allows individuals (or businesses) to publish (podcast) audio shows that interested listeners can subscribe to (via RSS).  Before podcasting, you could record an audio show and put it on your website, but now people can automatically receive new shows without having to go to a specific site and download it from the website.  The podcast show is "automatically delivered to them."

Regarding blog sites (the backbone of a community website), RSS feeds allow interested readers to subscribe to a blog site of interest.  Here are the steps it takes to do subscribe based on my blog site.  Other sites may be different.

1.  First, you have to have an aggregator.  An aggregator goes out to the sites you subscribe to and brings newly posted content to your desktop.  The aggregator I use is feedreader and I downloaded this for free by going to www.feedreader.com.

2.  When you find a blog site you like and want to get updates on, there should be a link on the sidebar that says something like, "click here to subscribe to this blog site."

3.  You put your mouse pointer over this link and right-click and go to properties.

4.  When you have opened properties, you then copy the URL address you see there and copy that over to your aggregator.

From then on, the aggregator will bring you new information when it is available.  I know my instructions are not the best nor do I think all aggregators work the same, but I hope this at least gets you started in the right direction. Setting up your aggregator is really quite simple.

I now get all kinds of information from NPR radio and other news sources.  It\'s the new way people are getting their information.