When my role at Palo Alto Software changed to focus on Social Media – I started to get a lot of people asking me questions like: "What blogs do you read? What social networks do you belong to? What’s this thing called RSS?"

After answering these questions a couple of times, I started to put together a list of places I recommend and definitions of new web applications or tools. It was easier and faster than writing them down in an email over and over.

It’s become a regular thing for me here at work, so I thought it would be useful for a few of you out there. So – I’m going to be posting a regular feature with a blog, web application, social network, etc that I’ve found helpful or think would be of interest to people in the business world.

So, starting fresh with a bright and shiny Monday morning –

What the heck is RSS?

RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. It’s also commonly referred to as "Really Simple Syndication".

Why is it important to a business owner?

Time.

There are hundreds if not thousands of websites and blogs out there that have daily informative content. Not all of them offer newsletters that deliver the information directly to your email. (And really, how many emails do you want to get every morning?)

You don’t have time to run out to 20 or 200 websites every day to read what they have to say. You have a business to run. But that shouldn’t mean you have to miss out on good, helpful information that could be vital to you and your success.

Subscribing to a RSS feed for a website or two gives you the ability to save time and still receive information that’s worth something.

The company CommonCraft has an easy to understand video about RSS that I highly suggest you watch – if you haven’t done so.

‘Chelle Parmele
Social Media Marketing Manager

* noob or n00b is urban slang for someone who is a "newbie" concerning certain computer related facts or functions.