Saving Time With RSS Readers

RSS feeds, including the one at this site, reduce the time and effort needed to regularly check web sites for updates. They assist users in creating what might be called a "personal newspaper." Once subscribed to a feed, an "aggregator" checks for new content at user-determined intervals and retrieves the updates. Aggregator applications are referred to as RSS readers, feed readers, feed aggregators, news readers or search aggregators. Previous posts describe the RSS concept generally, and provide some examples of RSS feeds of particular interest to federal government lawyers.

NewsOnFeeds.com and AggCompare provide lists that help select from the many available news readers. Software that runs on the user's desktop is usually more powerful, but Web-based news readers like Google Reader will be more popular for many federal lawyers, because it does not require software purchase or installation.

The bottom line: If IEC Journal is the only web site you keep up with that uses an RSS feed, the e-mail echo method of tracking updates explained here earlier is a good way of making sure you always have the latest information. However, most ethics officers today probably track multiple web sites that have RSS feeds. Anyone in this category is a prime candidate to save time by using an RSS news reader.