Hello. I’m going to attempt to explain for you some very interesting tools which are now making the web more accessible to you. There’s no need to be afraid of the jargon. I’ll try to be as simple as milk. 
Before we start, the majority of users online are already utilizing e-mail as the premier mode of communication. If that’s you, you can subscribe to my updates through e-mail if that’s a better fit. However, in this page we’re going to touch on RSS and Twitter, two more modes of communication which enables you to keep in touch with me whenever I update my blog.
Mostly because I am active on them as well. 
What is RSS?
RSS stands for really simple syndication. It’s loaded on every website, blog or page you’ll find on the internet. The way you’ll notice it is from a symbol affixed on the corner or sidebar of the site. It’s also visible on this blog from the top right corner. Most of the time, it’ll look like the graphic below.
This may come in many different colors and shapes. However you’ll notice that the most prominent feature is the symbol with the dot in the center and outer lines broadcasting from it. This means syndication is possible. Think of it as bookmarking your favorite site but also getting updates from the web author when the latest post is published. That’s me!
This is really helpful in many ways.
- You don’t have to visit the site every day which allows you more time to browse online.
- You’re on a list which gives you insider information from the site owner. Again, that’s me.
- You can always unsubscribe.
- There’s no SPAM.
- It’s definitely private.
- It’s FREE!
Now, in order to read RSS you have to have a feed reader. The most common reader comes from Google. By signing up for a FREE account with them, whenever you come across a RSS symbol, just input your e-mail address, log into your reader’s account and get updated with the latest content from your favorite sites.
Some feeds will show you the entire article and some will be excerpts which you’ll have to go back to the blog to read in it’s entirety. I enable my feed to be full here because I know we’re all busy online. So you can check out the content on your reader without having to jump to my site every time!
It’s so easy to get distracted when you’re jumping around place to place. So in that regards, I have made it easier for you without jumping through so much loops. The same can be said elsewhere. Once you add their feed, you don’t have to visit the blog so often. This is especially true if you have over a dozen or more blogs you read daily.
Overall, you can save a lot of time just aggregating or putting together all your favorite blogs.
Feel free to subscribe and get yourself updated with the latest posts from my blog too!
What is Twitter?
I’m often on Twitter and because it’s my second home from the blog, it also has the option to update my followers with the latest post whenever I put one out. That’s just one part of the reason why I suggest you get on Twitter as well.
Another is, it’s a smaller version of blogging. You’ll get to see another side of me apart from the posts you read here. I can chat, say hi and even answer any questions you may have had from the posts I’ve published. So it’s definitely a great way to continue the conversation of the topics here.
With 140 characters to type whatever it is you’re doing, thinking, wanting … whatever at all, you can say it with Twitter. However, please abide by some rules of etiquette as whatever you say can be broadcast to the world. Hint: the US Library of Congress has purchased the millions of tweets that have been stored online.
Scary to think about isn’t it?
With that tidbit out of the way, the good thing is you can talk about the usual stuff you do on Facebook and MySpace but also link to sites and share them with your friends and followers. Site shorteners like Bit.ly helps you convert a long website addresses into a short one like this
http://bit.ly/shortlink
This makes sharing links, videos and information so much faster. Sometimes the information going through the screen is reminiscent of a stock ticker. I just have to scroll back a bit to consume it all. Just don’t overload yourself with so much. Take a break. It can be addicting.
Consider following me on Twitter.
The Difference Between Twitter and RSS
RSS allows you to see more things than Twitter. As an owner of a RSS feed, I can track how much exposure my site is getting. From that I can publish more content to feed my hungry readers or do something different to perform better. It’s a database tool as well for web authors.
Neat huh? So what did you think?
Wanna get more information on what it is that I may be thinking, doing and performing here? Follow me on Twitter. It’s a great way to learn more about who I am personally. If at any time, you’re just not feeling me, it’s OK to unfollow or unsubscribe.
I forgot to mention … all of this costs nothing! Zip! Nada! Zilch! You pay zero cents. You just need an e-mail account to subscribe to the RSS feed and create your own FREE Twitter account to follow me. I promise I won’t bite.
All you’ve got is a choice which you can decide to connect or not. So what are you waiting for?
Subscribe through RSS, e-mail or follow me on Twitter.
Talk soon!
Thu Nguyen
Learn more about Twitter, check out Why You Should Leverage Social Networks.
