So here's a subject that had me somewhat confused for a while.

Actually, that's not right at all. I wasn't confused...I flat-out avoided a topic (RSS, in this case) that for the longest time felt mysterious, overwhelming, and complex to me. And in my avoidance of this ever-growing area of the web, I missed out on all kinds of information and time-saving convience. 

So now that I've seen the light and changed my uncharacteristically Luddite-like ways, I want to help anyone who may feel hesitant about stepping into the world of blog subscriptions.  Don't worry, it's not as confusing as it looks from the outside. 

First of all, RSS stands for "real simple syndication." And it represents a way for you to electronically subscribe to and automatically gather blog posts and other continually updated information, like news feeds, on the web. 

You've likely seen one of these little symbols floating around on one of your favorite web pages. They indicate a "feed," or website that has a constantly-updating stream of information to which you can subscribe.

These buttons can be short-cuts that allow you to click and subscribe to whatever you're reading. Though sometimes they're not a button, just a small symbol or link at the bottom or top of the page.

To view all those feeds you'd like to subscribe to, you'll need an RSS reader or blog reader – that's a program or Web site that collects and updates all your subscriptions automatically.

I like to use Google's blog reader because I find it easy to navigate, and I can quickly share blog articles with my existing Google email contact list. But you can use any blog or RSS reader. Just type "blog reader" into any search engine and find the reader that suits you best.

If you're a visual learner, like me, then this cute and simple video (via CommonCraft's site) may help explain it better than I can.

Click here for the Youtube link to the video.
 

Once you've found a reader, you can cut and paste your chosen feed's link in it, and you'll be all set!
Here's two links to get you started!

Use this link to subscribe to the Art Jewelry blog:
http://cs.artjewelrymag.com/artcs/blogs/artjewelry/rss.aspx

You can subscribe to this link to see every new postings on the Art Jewelry forum:
http://cs.artjewelrymag.com/artcs/forums/aggregaterss.aspx?Mode=0

Here's a screen shot of my reader, showing a list of recent Art Jewelry forum posts. If I find one I want to respond to, I can just click on the headline and I'm instantly taken to that page on the Art Jewelry forum. It's amazing how much time you can save, and it makes keeping up with a community SO much easier.

 
I promise you, if you're anything like me, you'll be looking for subscription icons EVERYwhere! (blogs, newspapers, forums, comment feeds, stores, photo-upload sites, social networks, etc.) I may have been reluctant and slow to catch on the RSS craze, but now I'd say I'm a full-fledged RSS-convenience-addict.

Happy Subscribing! 

~Addie~

PS If all this information has stirred up any questions, post them below. I'll do my best to help you out.