RSS stands for "Real Simple Syndication". An RSS file contains headlines, summaries, and links that are formatted in XML (eXtensible Markup Language). It is designed for sharing news items and new entries in Internet logs. It is also used by a growing number of news organizations and groups to notify subscribers of new updates to web sites, a format for syndicating news and other content. Simply put, when you use RSS you can dictate what type of information you would like to receive updates on - weather, headline news, technical news, etc. The Analyst Resource Center (ARC) and the National Crosswalk Service Center (NCSC) use this service for notification of new products or services.

Requirements for receiving these notifications are minimal. All that you need is a connection to the Internet and a piece of software known as a reader or an "aggregator". There are a number of aggregator software packages available for downloading as freeware.

The first thing you need to do is download an aggregator. See a list of some of the aggregators you can use below under RSS Software. Once you have your aggregator, you can simply cut and paste links into the address (usually at the top of the screen when the aggregator is open). Below are some examples of links you may want to subscribe to. In order to view these feeds in your aggregator, you must copy the underlined text below into the aggregator's address box. Most aggregators will also allow you to subscribe to specific feeds and control how often each feed is polled for new information.

Analyst Resource Center
www.workforceinfodb.org/rss/index.xml

National Crosswalk Service Center (NCSC)
http://webdata.xwalkcenter.org/rss.index.xml

CNET.com news
http://news.com/2547-1_3-0-5.xml

Computerworld Database News
http://www.computerworld.com/news/xml/0,5000,589,00.xml

Database Journal - Oracle
http://rss2email.yellowduck.be/feeds/DbJournalOracle.php

Economics.about.com
http://economics.about.com/b/index.xml

Department of Labor (BenefitsLink.com)
http://www.benefitslink.com/rdf/benefitslink-dolrulings.rdf

Laborwire - The Joe Hill Dispatch
http://www.hoehilldispatch.org/index.rdf

List of RSS Aggregators Introduction to RSS What is RSS? Simply RSS