What is a Blog?

According to Wikipedia: A blog is a website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronologicalorder. Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Most blogs are primarily textual although some focus on photographs (photoblog), videos (vlog), or audio (podcasting), and are part of a wider network of social media. The term "blog" is a portmanteau of "Web log." "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

What is an RSS feed?

RSS feeds allow readers to subscribe to blogs in via a website or program called an aggregator. The aggregator will retrieve new messages from various blogs around the internet and conveniently deliver them to the reader in one location to be read.

Do I need to use an aggregator?

No. You can read the Library's blogs or listen to our podcats directly from our website. Just follow the links at the top of the page to do so.

Where can I find an aggregator?

A simple to use online aggregator that is free is BlogLines. Follow the directions you find there to set up your blog or podcast feeds.

How do to your blog in the aggregator?

Go back to the previous page, and find the blog you would like to subscribe to in your aggregator. Use the file name that ends with XML to subscribe. Follow the directions on your chosen aggregator to find where to insert the XML file name.

What is the difference between blogs and podcasts?

Blogs normally consist of mostly of text with some photos or other media inserted. Podcasts are primarily audio that are desinged to be listened to on a portable mp3 player. Vodcasts are video podcasts.