RSS feeds: Deliver Lodinews.com news to your desktop

Lodinews.com news and information is now available through RSS feeds, which use XML, a markup language for documents containing structured information, to deliver headlines to your desktop.

If you click an RSS link, you will see XML (or eXtensible Markup Language) code in your browser. Impressive, but not very useful, since you are not meant to view the raw RSS feed in a browser window. (The latest version of Apple’s Web browser, Safari, also functions as an RSS reader, so it will format the XML. Plug-ins are also available for Firefox. But most people will probably see the raw feed.) To view the headlines, you must add the feed to an RSS news reader, or to a Web browser like Safari that supports RSS feeds.

So how do I use these feeds?

The first step is to choose an RSS reader. Each reader has a slightly different way of adding a new feed (also called a “channel”). In most cases, here’s how it works:

• Click on the small, orange RSS button in the list below near the channel you want (Lodinews.com News, for example.). You'll see a page displaying XML code.

• From your browser, copy the URL that appears in your Address Bar. For example, the URL for the News section of Lodinews.com is:

http://www.lodinews.com/?rss=news

• Paste that URL into the “Add New Channel” or “New Subscription” section of the reader. You should be all set! The RSS feed will start to display and regularly update the headlines for you.

Here's our current lineup of feeds:

RSS Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is RSS?
RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication (or Rich Site Summary, depending on whom you ask), is an easy way to keep up with your favorite news and information. An RSS feed contains headlines and links to full news stories on Lodinews.com.

2. What are RSS readers?
RSS news readers are software programs that gather RSS feeds and display the headlines of stories. They may also display the first few words of a story. RSS news readers allow you to scan headlines from hundreds of news sources in a central location.

3. Where do I get an RSS reader?
A wide range of RSS readers can be downloaded from the Web. Some readers are Web-based while others require you to download a small software program onto your desktop. Some are free to use.

Google and Yahoo! both offer comprehensive lists of RSS readers. A few sample readers are listed below:

• Amphetadesk — Windows, Mac, Linux (open source); freeware
• Awasu — Windows; free for personal use
• Bloglines — Web-based news aggregator; free
• FeedDemon — Windows; commercial software, trial available
• Feedreader — Windows (open source); freeware
• NetNewsWire — Mac OS X; commercial software, trial available (A free version, NetNewsWire Lite, is also available)
• NewsFire — Mac OS X; freeware
• Rocket RSS Reader — Web-based RSS reader; free
• RSS Reader — Windows; freeware

4. Where can I get help with an individual reader?
Lodinews.com does not support individual readers, nor do we provide technical assistance. Please check the Web site for your reader or contact the reader’s customer service department if you need help.

5. How often are the Lodinews.com RSS feeds updated?
At this time, Lodinews.com RSS feeds are updated every day except Sunday at 7 a.m. Associated Press feeds are updated continuously seven days a week.