Even in the basic system, contentXXL makes it possible to provide an unlimited amount of content as RSS Newsfeed. The multiple and time delayed publishing of content objects in different themed areas makes it possible to construct effective information channels without extra expense.
What is it?
- The provision of text information and links for those interested on the basis of internationally unified standards (XML/RSS/RDF)
What can I do?
- Provision of announcements or news via a standardised, media neural and machine readable XML format for other applications or websites
- Subscription and informing function for new or altered contents via newsletter
- Can be used online or offline
- Complete control for the user
- No danger from spam or viruses
- Complete integration in Microsoft Outlook via additional programme possible
- Integration of external news feeds via XML module
- Complete optical adaptation via XSL
Fig.: RSS News received with MS-Outlook.
What is the benefit for the provider?
- Creation of effective information channels without extra cost
- Information can be provided and called up in a targeted way
- Target group is better reached
- Number of visits and level of customer satisfaction go up
- Information can be passed on more effectively
- Personal data such as e-mail addresses etc. no not need to be administered
- No need for mail dispatch logistics
- Virus protection not necessary
- Unwanted subscribers can easily be excluded
- Legal problems are avoided
- News feeds can be easily cached to improve performance
- Low system and hardware requirements
- Position in search engines can be significantly improved by the distribution of news feeds
What is the benefit for the user?
- In a newsreader a personalised newspaper or magazine can, so to speak, be individually complied
- Personal data such as e-mail addresses etc. do not have to be disclosed, spam is not possible because the news source is simple, secure and can be completely removed
- Spam ist nicht möglich da die Nachrichtenquelle einfach, sicher und vollständig entfernt werden kann
- There is no danger of viruses as is the case with e mail
- Announcements of several sources can be compiled, displayed and read in one user interface – e.g. Microsoft Outlook
- The registered sources of information are automatically subjected to a regular check for new or altered postings and the user is alerted to this
- Considerable time saving, as there is no longer any need to check websites manually for new content
- Cost saving on transfer, less data is transferred in total, news can be read online but also offline
- The address for new contents of a website is included, the news is therefore only a click away
- News feeds are largely free of charge and are available in very great numbers
Description
The symbol 
denotes a link to the RSS data source of a website. The abbreviation RSS stands for “Rich Site Summary”. RSS is an XML Standard for the provision of news or text information for use on other computers or websites (Content Syndication). The format has its beginnings in a development by Netscape at the end of the 1990’s (RSS 0.9) and has already been improved many times, the latest version being RSS 2.0. In addition to this, various expansions are in existence. The most important is Dublin Core , which is, for example, used for indicating a language or to give copyright information.
Unlike websites which are called up via browser, in an RSS file information is reduced to content and logically tagged to enable it to be read not only by people but also to be machine interpreted. At present the technology is experiencing rapid expansion in America and will probably soon be more intensively used in Europe. This also must be seen in the context of the increasing insecurity about subscribing to newsletters caused by viruses and spam on consumer websites.
Unlike usual HTML formatted websites, RSS files can be read and processed by other programmes. The most common of these programmes are the RSS Feedreaders. They can check every update made on a website via the RSS file and display this, if desired. The very large number of RSS Readers on the market does not exactly make it easy for the beginner to choose. For beginners in a Windows environment FeedReader is a good choice.
On the other hand, the benefit rises again through the integration of applications which are in themselves readily available and intensively used, like Microsoft Outlook for example. For this reason it is also worth investing in pay programmes such as Newsgator.
These programmes also offer further performance such as, for example, comprehensive searching, the integration of further data sources such as news groups or web logs and commentary functions. News feeds can very easily be integrated into other websites – always with the agreement of the provider. This makes it possible to adapt the display completely to the website. Depending on which technology or CMS is used, the cost of this varies. In contentXXL this can be achieved without any programming via the XML module. Here you can find an example, the integration of the MSDN Newsfeed.
Many radio and TV broadcasters offer free news in this format, e.g. the main news programme on ARD Television. Various service providers collect news from all areas. NewsIsFree, for example, already provides more than 700 news sources. You can find more feeds here. More extensive applications, e.g. for events information or price comparisons between various online shops are still in the testing phase.
Even in the basic system, contentXXL makes it possible to provide an unlimited amount of content as RSS Newsfeed. The multiple and time delayed publishing of content objects in different themed areas makes it possible to construct effective information channels without extra expense.