What is RSS?

You've likely heard the term RSS being used. It's an acronym for Really Simple Syndication. All it means is that you can subscribe free to content from various web sites and blogs, and have it delivered to one single page - commonly known as an RSS reader.

It sounds pointless, but it really is very helpful. For instance, suppose you regularly frequent WashingtonPost.com, BusinessWeek.com, WSJ.com, BlackEnterprise.com, and other news sites. Well, instead of visiting each web site every day - you can create your own customized home page to see the stories (or feeds) all at once.

My favorite RSS reader is iGoogle (www.google.com/ig) because its very simple and fast to use. Google also has another one called Google Reader (www.google.com/reader) - which is a little more sophisticated.

Using RSS benefits entrepreneurs because it enables you to better keep up with your business publications. Many times, it can be a huge task to frequent 5-10 different news web sites every day. RSS is the solution to that, and it even helps you better identify the articles that appeal most to you.

To subscribe to an RSS feed, simple scan your favorite web site for a link that says "Subscribe Via RSS" or look for the commonly used orange logo (pictured above).

Many cell phones such as the Blackberry or the iPhone have mobile applications that also enable you to subscribe to and/or access your RSS feeds. The actual mobile application may have a fee, but subscribing to the feed itself will always be free.