Help? What is RSS and how do I use it?

What is RSS?

Although the jury's still out on this one, it's generally accepted that RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. It is an XML format designed for sharing web content like news headlines. An RSS service (also known as an RSS channel) consists of a list of items, each of which contains a headline, description, and a link to a web page.

Why would I want RSS feeds when I can go to websites directly?

You can still visit as many home pages directly as you wish. RSS feeds can be really valuable for busy people however, as you can use a news aggregator to channel a number of news headlines (from your favourite web sites) into one place, cutting down on your searching and downloading time. In a nutshell: you can have all the news you're interested in delivered to you, instead of you looking for it.

These feeds enable you to skim through headlines at a glance and click directly through to any articles you're interested in reading. It also takes the hassle out of staying up-to-date, by showing you the very latest information that you are interested in.

How do I use RSS?

In general, the first thing you need is something called a news reader (sometimes called a news aggregator.)

NEWS READERS

Windows
Awasu
FeedDemon
Newz Crawler

Mac OS X
NetNewsWire
Newsfire

Web
Bloglines
My Yahoo!
NewsGator

Other News Readers (GOOGLE)

There are many different versions, some of which are web-based services you sign-up for that work inside your browser, and some of which are applications that you download and install. All allow you to display and subscribe to the RSS feeds you want, and many are free.

Some of the most popular news readers available are listed in the adjacent box:

Once you have chosen a news reader, all you have to do is to decide what content you want. For example, if you would like the latest Miningmx breaking news and headlines, simply click on the RSS feed called 'Headline news'. If you click on the button you can subscribe to the feed in various ways, including by dragging the URL of the RSS feed into your news reader or by cutting and pasting the same URL into a new feed in your news reader.

What RSS feeds does Miningmx offer?

Miningmx offers the following three RSS feeds:

i.	Miningmx RSS Feed: Headline News http://www.miningmx.com/rss/headlinenews.xml For the latest breaking news, views and analysis on African resources, written by Miningmx's award-winning team of journalists.
ii.	Miningmx RSS Feed: Radio Wrap http://www.miningmx.com/rss/radiowrap.xml Make sure you know who said what on South Africa's top four business radio shows, as we publish the most newsworthy excerpts of mining interviews broadcast nightly by Radio 702, Radio 2000, ClassicFM and SAfm.
iii.	Miningmx RSS Feed: What They Said http://www.miningmx.com/rss/wts.xml For a quick look at what's happening in the global resources arena, these nibs (news in brief) are put together in Miningmx's distinctive style.

What are the terms of use?
Miningmx offers RSS as a free service for personal use by individual users subject to the following terms and conditions:

Use will be for non-commercial purposes.
Use is accompanied by proper attribution to Miningmx as the source.
Use is limited to platforms in which a functional link is made available allowing immediate display of the full article on the Miningmx.com platform.
If you wish to obtain permission for any other use of the feeds, other than those stipulated above, please contact tracyp@miningmx.com