📰 What RSS Feeds Are (and Why They Still Matter)
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. An RSS feed is a standardized file (usually XML) that lists recent updates from a website—-blog posts, news articles, podcasts, comics, changelogs, you name it. Most (but not all) websites have RSS feeds built into them, so once you find the correct URL for the RSS feed, you can add it to your RSS reader and new updates will appear in your feed.
This gives you the ability to stay up-to-date with what is happening online and/or around the world without attention-seeking algorithms, web-trackers, ads, or e-mail subscriptions.
RSS lets you subscribe directly to content and read it in one place, on your terms.
If you care about the open web, RSS is one of its backbone technologies.
There are many RSS options out there, and they tend to fall into three categories: self-hosted, local only, or web-based.
- Self-hosting: for those who can host a server. One of the most popular options for this is using a Nextcloud server with the Nextcloud News app.
- Local-Only: means that the program is run on your device only, so while it does give you a feed, you can not view the feed across your devices. This is a good option for those who only plan to use a RSS reader on one device.
- Web-based: this RSS reader is hosted by someone else, meaning you can sync the feed across your devices. This option does have the risk of failing if your host shuts down the server, and there is also the risk of the host becoming a paid-service someday. This is the option I use, and just to be safe, I occasionally back up my subscriptions in a opml file. Most RSS readers have a function to import from opml, so it is a safe backup to have in case I ever need to switch to a different reader.
Note: some websites refuse to provide RSS feeds, but you can still have a chance to add them using scrapers such as RSS-Bridge.
Reading RSS Feeds with FOSS Software
- FreshRSS (self-hosting or web-based). I personally use this this. You can use the website, and/or add the feed to the app of your choice. For example, I sync my feed to the android app Readrops, so that I can view the feed on my computer and my phone. You can also self-host this if you'd like.
- Miniflux (self-hosted): for those who prefer a minimalist and fast-loading setup.
- Liferea (Linux)
- RSS Guard (Linux/Windows): This one has the added benefit of being able to subscribe to and play podcasts.
- Thunderbird (Linux/Windows/Android/Ios): Thunderbird is primarily a FOSS e-mail inbox option, but it also has a RSS feed reader built in
- Akregator (KDE): This one is an app for the KDE software community.
Publishing Your Own RSS Feed
You write posts → RSS updates itself to send your post to the feeds of your subscribers.
Some website providers (such as WordPress) do have a built-in RSS feed. You can typically find your feed at:
https://yoursite.com/feed/https://yoursite.com/category/news/feed/
You can also add rss to your website if it does not already have one built-in.