What are the two biggest problems facing email users today? Ironically they are:
#1) spam
#2) spam filters
Unsolicited email is flooding our in-boxes. Unfortunately while trying to fix the problem, spam filters are blocking mail we want to receive, even, perhaps (gasp!) our free weekly Surfnetkids newsletter. It’s a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
So what’s an email user or publisher to do? Rescue the baby, of course! To this end, many (including Surfnetkids) are turning to a new delivery system: RSS. The Surfnetkids newsletter is now available in three formats: HTML email, text email or RSS.
For those already familiar with RSS (which stands for a number of different things depending on who you ask) I’ll cut to the chase, and give you the URL:
Free Weekly Surfnetkids Newsletter (via RSS)
http://www.surfnetkids.com/newsletter-rss.xml
Please note that this is a full-content feed, not just a list of headlines and links. If weekly topic headlines are more to your liking, try this instead:
Surfing the Net with Kids Headlines (via RSS)
http://www.surfnetkids.com/surfnetkids-rss.xml
For details, including an answer to the question “What is RSS?”, a short list of recommended RSS news readers and a handful of noteworthy news feeds, read the announcement sent to my Surfnetkids list.
Lucy,
As it turns out, at Bloglines I am listed as “Surfing the Net with Kids” but not as “Surfnetkids.” But on my About RSS page, there is a Bloglines subscribe button.
I had seen the term RSS, but had not a clue. I hate having yet another reader to launch. However, I would be interested having the newsletter with BLOGLINES, since I can have a listing of all the blogs and newsletters that I read in one place.
Although you mention bloglines, I don’t see you listed as one of the ones that I can subscribe to with Bloglines. I did a search and didn’t find either your name of the surfnetkids newsletter.
I would think that this would be a good exposure/marketing tool for you as well as a way to deliver your RSS newsletter.
Lucy MacDonald
I currently subscribe to several magazines that are delivered in this format. I have found this technology to be very easy and enjoyable to use. I teach computer literacy and would like your permission to quote you. Your explanation of RSS is clear and succinct. I believe it would benefit my students.
Thanks!
I appreciate the information, since I’d never even heard of RSS. I’m really not interested in most things that complicate my life further, but I’ll archive the email (which, incidentally, had been sent directly to my Deleted Items folder) for future ref. I would probably be satisfied with a very brief email from you, each time you’ve released a newsletter, with a link to the web page where I can find it. I do like the reminder each time, because I would probably forget to go to the website on a regular basis.
I do not want to download another program just to read a newsletter. There are many newsletters that are delivered via yahoo and other such servers which are easily set to by pass a spam filter and give a large amount of protection if set up properly. If I can only access the newsletter by installing RSS then I will not be reading it any more after all these years of subscribing.
PC World has an article in this months issue (September 2003) titled “RSS: Hot Fix for Info-Junkies” by Eric Dahl.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,111784,00.asp
very helpful info about RSS, barbara. i’m an educational technology professional and have been trying to understand what RSS is about. your explanation is one of the best i’ve encountered.
phil shapiro
I had never heard of this format before, but it makes sense. There are several newsletters I get whose authors have a lot of trouble with spam filters, so I may forward a portion of your article to them. AND, I’ll download one of the free readers and try it out.
Thanks!
Nancy