RSS: A Primer for RSS: A Primer for Advocates and ManagersAdvocates and Managers

May 7, 2007May 7, 2007www.lsntap.orgwww.lsntap.org

PresentersPresenters

Gabrielle Hammond, NTAPGabrielle Hammond, NTAP

Gwen Daniels, Illinois Legal Gwen Daniels, Illinois Legal Aid Online Aid Online

Overview of SessionOverview of Session

The Basics: Mozilla and IE 7The Basics: Mozilla and IE 7 Power of Information and Role Power of Information and Role of RSSof RSS

RSS Aggregators RSS Aggregators Netvibes: Creating Your Netvibes: Creating Your Personal NewspaperPersonal Newspaper

RSS for Poverty LawRSS for Poverty Law

A Note on the TrainingA Note on the Training

Focus on today’s training is Focus on today’s training is how to use RSS for you as how to use RSS for you as individuals.individuals.

To learn more about RSS use on To learn more about RSS use on statewide websites see:statewide websites see: http://www.lsntap.org/node/1645http://www.lsntap.org/node/1645 http://www.lsntap.org/http://www.lsntap.org/legalAidtech_xml_RSSlegalAidtech_xml_RSS

How Do You Get Online?How Do You Get Online?

MOZILLA FIREFOXMOZILLA FIREFOX INTERNET EXPLORERINTERNET EXPLORER

Part 1:Part 1:Mozilla FirefoxMozilla Firefox

Gabrielle HammondGabrielle Hammond

www.Mozilla.comwww.Mozilla.com

It takes 2 minutes to download.

• Easy to use and improves your efficiency.

• Tabbed browsing

• Easy creation of folders for bookmarks

• LiveFeeds: A folder the stores your RSS

Why Mozilla?… Internet at your Fingers

Part 2: Power of RSSPart 2: Power of RSSWhat if the Web Came to What if the Web Came to

You?You? RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is simply a technology that allows you simply a technology that allows you to – with a couple clicks to – with a couple clicks subscribesubscribe to online information, news, blogs, to online information, news, blogs, and content.and content.

Have you seen its logo?Have you seen its logo?

It indicates content you can subscribe It indicates content you can subscribe to.to.

This means it comes to you.This means it comes to you.

What is RSS? What is RSS? A Technical ExplanationA Technical Explanation

RSS allows websites to syndicate RSS allows websites to syndicate content to other websites and content to other websites and other XML-enabled applications other XML-enabled applications like RSS feed readers/aggregatorslike RSS feed readers/aggregators

Atom is a very similar standard Atom is a very similar standard originally used by Blogs. Most originally used by Blogs. Most feed readers support both RSS and feed readers support both RSS and Atom.Atom.

Where Can You Have Where Can You Have RSS Delivered?RSS Delivered?

RSS can be received in your RSS can be received in your browserbrowser..

RSS can be received in your RSS can be received in your email inboxemail inbox. .

RSS can be received on a RSS can be received on a webpage.webpage.

What Can Be RSS’d?What Can Be RSS’d?

NewsNews BlogsBlogs VideoVideo EmailEmail Online Tools (Ta Da Lists)Online Tools (Ta Da Lists) MOST ANYTHING ON THE WEBMOST ANYTHING ON THE WEB

Finding FeedsFinding Feeds 1. 1. Easy: Look for the RSS logoEasy: Look for the RSS logo:: 2. Both Google Reader & MyYahoo have 2. Both Google Reader & MyYahoo have built-in feed searches (You type in ping built-in feed searches (You type in ping pong and it delivers content based on all pong and it delivers content based on all the web it spiders.)the web it spiders.)

3. If you know the “javascript” (code 3. If you know the “javascript” (code that tells the web to bring it to you), that tells the web to bring it to you), you can cut and paste it into your you can cut and paste it into your browser (or website). RSS.LStech.Org: browser (or website). RSS.LStech.Org: http://rss.LStech.orghttp://rss.LStech.org maintains a list maintains a list of many feeds with the additional ability of many feeds with the additional ability to get these feeds in javascript for to get these feeds in javascript for websites.websites.

Is Your Favorite Website Is Your Favorite Website RSS-able?RSS-able?

What is Your Favorite Site for?What is Your Favorite Site for?

NewsNews Tracking Interests or HobbiesTracking Interests or Hobbies BlogsBlogs EmailEmail Online ToolsOnline ToolsLet’s Look at NTAP’s Let’s Look at NTAP’s RecommendationsRecommendations……

Anything can be RSS’d (or subscribed to). Even my GMAIL Account.

• See the Orange RSS symbol in the address bar? Click it.

• A popup window appears asking where you want it to go. Click OK

• Mine goes in a folder called LiveFeeds in my Bookmark Toolbar.

Examples of Substantive Examples of Substantive Feeds:Feeds:

Center on Budget & Policy PriorCenter on Budget & Policy Prioritiesities

CLASP Feeds (several feeds on vCLASP Feeds (several feeds on various topics)arious topics)

Bazelon Bazelon Center for Mental Health LawCenter for Mental Health Law

National Health Law ProgramNational Health Law Program US Government Feed LibraryUS Government Feed Library Legal Services of Northern CaliLegal Services of Northern California Advocate Feedfornia Advocate Feed

Technology Related Technology Related Feeds Feeds

LSNTAP.org: Latest News & ViewsLSNTAP.org: Latest News & Views LSNTAP.org: LStechLSNTAP.org: LStech Resource CenterResource Center

Law.com Legal Technology FeedLaw.com Legal Technology Feed ABA’s Legal Technology Resource ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center feedCenter feed

Probono.net Statewide Website Probono.net Statewide Website FeedFeed

Receive National Legal Receive National Legal Aid NewsAid News

NLADA’s Equal Justice NewsNLADA’s Equal Justice News CNN Law FeedCNN Law Feed Law.com Law.com LSC AnnouncementsLSC Announcements LSC Updates LSC Updates

Other IdeasOther Ideas

Some statewide websites and Some statewide websites and other state legal aid websites other state legal aid websites may have RSS feeds availablemay have RSS feeds available

So, How?So, How?RSS Through Your RSS Through Your

BrowserBrowser Live Bookmarks in FirefoxLive Bookmarks in Firefox Through Internet Explorer 7Through Internet Explorer 7 In both:In both:

Go to the feed URLGo to the feed URL Click “Subscribe” in the browser Click “Subscribe” in the browser windowwindow

Other Ways to Access RSSOther Ways to Access RSS

Email Applications: Outlook Email Applications: Outlook (through third-party plugin, (through third-party plugin, except Outlook 2007) and except Outlook 2007) and ThunderbirdThunderbird

Third-party websites that Third-party websites that provide RSS aggregation (we’ll provide RSS aggregation (we’ll see an example soon)see an example soon)

How Do You Subscribe?How Do You Subscribe?

BrowserBrowser: If you use Mozilla, : If you use Mozilla, it is Easy.it is Easy. Find content you want to subscribe Find content you want to subscribe to.to.

Click on the logo.Click on the logo. Drag to LiveFeeds Folder on your Drag to LiveFeeds Folder on your Bookmark Bar.Bookmark Bar.

Let’s try it.Let’s try it.

Part 3: Part 3: RSS AggregatorsRSS Aggregators

What if you only went to What if you only went to ONE site for ALL news ONE site for ALL news feeds you wanted?feeds you wanted?

What if you don’t want to search?

There are “readers” or “aggregators”.

These provide a directory of resources by topic for you to pick from.

Google Directory is a directory of all news readers -- in other words, all news that can be subscribed to, you can search and pick what you want.

http://news.google.com:

-- You can SEARCH for news.

-- You can have the news come to you via RSS

What if you don’t care about the source as much as the specific news content type?

SEARCH on GOOGLE NEWS for the content type you want and ALL news anywhere will be brought to you via RSS.

For example, “HUD Litigation” “Legal Aid Technology” “Your Program Name”

Feed AggregatorsFeed Aggregators

MyYahoo.comMyYahoo.com: ability to control : ability to control number of items per feed, move number of items per feed, move up/move down.up/move down.

Google ReaderGoogle Reader: folders, : folders, personalized home page, feeds personalized home page, feeds integratedintegrated

NetVibes.comNetVibes.com: create your own : create your own custom newspapercustom newspaper

MyFeedz.comMyFeedz.com: combines RSS feeds : combines RSS feeds with social bookmarkingwith social bookmarking

Part 4: Part 4: NetvibesNetvibes

Creating Your Own Creating Your Own Personalized Personalized

News HubNews Hub

Final Step: Final Step: Netvibes.ComNetvibes.Com

Take all the feeds and create your own online newspaper -- takes 2 min!

Poverty Law NewspaperPoverty Law Newspaper

You can have tabs to your paper. Steve has a Poverty Law Paper page.

Your Turn: Let’s Your Turn: Let’s Build Netvibes Build Netvibes

TogetherTogether

Part 5: RSS for Part 5: RSS for Poverty LawPoverty Law

Getting StartedGetting Started

Use IE 7 or MozillaUse IE 7 or Mozilla Find Feeds: Look on LSNTAP.Org for Find Feeds: Look on LSNTAP.Org for your “Feeds for Advocates” your “Feeds for Advocates” http://lsntap.org/node/1758http://lsntap.org/node/1758

Search for othersSearch for others Get a Netvibes account and have it Get a Netvibes account and have it be your “home page” when you open be your “home page” when you open your browseryour browser

Share your feeds with others and us!Share your feeds with others and us!

To add feeds you find for the poverty law community:

http://rss.lstech.org

More on the RSS National Server

(how to add your feeds and add them to your websites):

http://www.lsntap.org/techlibrary | RSS

How Advocates use RSSHow Advocates use RSS

Keep current on national trends Keep current on national trends through RSS news feeds from through RSS news feeds from national support centers or national support centers or other legal experts.other legal experts.

Keep current on local Keep current on local information by bringing news information by bringing news and information into a single and information into a single locationlocation

Discussion:Discussion:

How do you use RSS feeds:How do you use RSS feeds: Are advocates in your organization Are advocates in your organization using RSS feeds?using RSS feeds?

What of these examples would be of What of these examples would be of most interest?most interest?

What are some of your favorite What are some of your favorite feeds?feeds?

Additional Additional ResourcesResources

RRSS for Advocates: Everything You SS for Advocates: Everything You Need to KnowNeed to Know

RSS section of the LSNTAP Tech LiRSS section of the LSNTAP Tech Librarybrary

Great Resources for Poverty Law RGreat Resources for Poverty Law Related RSSelated RSS