Monitor Websites with “Page 2 RSS”
Do you use RSS (really simple syndication) feeds ? If you aren’t already using RSS, you should check it out because it saves time. RSS is essentially a quick way to get updates from websites without visiting them. Every time the site is updated you know. However the key is you need to sign-up for a website’s RSS feed and download a free RSS reader. To sign-up for RSS, look for the orange icon that looks live a sound wave. I recently got back on the RSS wagon and downloaded the Google Reader.
What do you do if the website doesn’t have an RSS feed? Now with Page 2 RSS, it monitors web sites that do not publish RSS feeds. It will check any web page for updates and deliver them to your favorite RSS aggregator.
Are you an RSS junkie? Can anyone offer any words of advice to any first time RSS people?
http://page2rss.com/
2 Responses to “Monitor Websites with “Page 2 RSS””
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mike wise on December 17th, 2008
Mark, been using RSS for a couple years now. In fact, when I open my browser, the ‘home page’ is my feed-reader, Bloglines. Great tool for quickly and easily scanning new content for useful information…and staying in touch with people I’m following. But I’m getting the sense that Twitter is going to become even more important. What is your take on Twitter wrt RSS?
Btw, suggestion: external links in your posts might open in a new window? That way readers don’t lose contact with your thread while they investigate the link?
Marc Majers on December 23rd, 2008
Hi Mike,
RSS is a great tool.
In regards to RSS versus Twitter, after you posed the question, I had to sit back and think about how I use both to give you a good answer. Right now, I see them as two different ways to post information, however Twitter is changing the way we communicate.
Twitter is making users condense what they need to say down to 140 characters. I see Twitter like an all points bulletin (APB) while an RSS feed is a snippet with a link to a full article.
RSS and Twitter are two different ways to discover new information, however they both represent a Life Stream. Whether it’s a stream about your personal life or your company’s life, they are delivering new conversations.
The question is, “Right now Twitter is winning the popularity contest, but will RSS inherit some of Twitter’s traits?”
Tremendous question…
~Marc