Web 2.0: Concepts and Applications 3 Syndicating Content

Web 2.0: Concepts

and Applications

3Syndicating Content

Overview

Syndication is the process of making a summary of a Web site’s information available to other Web sites and applications

A Web feed represents the list of items that are being shared

Feed reader applications and devices access the Web feed of each of the subscribed sites and deliver any new content

Chapter 3: Syndicating Content 2

Overview


http://www.youtube.com/user/leelefever#p/search/2/0klgLsSxGsU

http://www.youtube.com/user/leelefever#p/search/2/0klgLsSxGsU

Exploring Web Feeds

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is one of the first and most popular types of Web feeds

Web sites providing feeds usually display an orange Web feed icon– Feed icon– RSS icon– XML icon

Google Reader is a popular feed reader application


How can you recognize if a Web site syndicates its content using Web feeds?

There will be the presence of a feed icon on the Web page or address bar

Usually appears in orange


Exploring Web Feeds


Publish / Subscribe Model


Exploring Web Feeds

Many bloggers syndicate their blogs’ content as Web feeds

News sites syndicate news headlinesMonster provides an RSS feed with job

postingseBay alerts users of daily dealsAmazon keeps users informed about

bestsellersFlickr notifies users of new photosChapter 3: Syndicating Content 8

Exploring Web Feeds


Subscribing to and Reading Feeds



The ability to subscribe to a feed is standard in many Web browsers

The method by which you subscribe to feeds varies with each Web browser

Every browser presents Web feeds differently– Feeds are syndicated the same

• XML (Extensible Markup Language)




What is the advantage of using a Web-based feed reader rather than a Web browser to manage your RSS feeds?Updated content from a variety of Web pages

can be deliveredYou don’t have to download a client applicationCan work in any browser and on multiple

devicesFeeds that are saved with a browser are only

available on that machine


Features of Web-Based and Client Feed Readers



Web-based feed readers– Google Reader

• Contains feed searching capability

– BloglinesClient feed readers

– FeedDemon– FeedReader– Microsoft Outlook




Features of Web-Based and Client Feed Readers Blogs can contain gadgets to display Web feeds in

sidebar gadgets– Gadgets update when blog is loaded or refreshed

Blogger defaults to automatically create feeds for its hosted blogs– Also syndicates full content

Professional bloggers manage their feeds and collect information about how users interact with them– Feed managing services– Metrics– Reach





Web-based applications incorporate data from Web feeds to present it visually


How is reading RSS feeds different than reading e-mail messages?

RSS feeds provide updated information from presubscribed Web sites

Brings the information to one central locationThree common features include:

– Adding and searching for feeds– Organizing feeds into folders– Marking all unread items as read


Formats for Web Feeds

RSS 2.0 is the most widely used version of RSS– RSS is closed to further modifications

Atom is a newer, evolving alternative to RSS– Not as simple as RSS, but is becoming popular

Differences between RSS and Atom are transparent to the user



XML (Extensible Markup Language) is the underlying technology used for describing content syndicated using RSS and Atom feeds– Tags describe information

• Opening tags• Closing tags

– RSS and Atom feeds are the most common types of content represented in XML






Exploring Podcasts

A podcast is a series of audio or video files that are broadcast to a computer or personal media player over the Internet by a publication in an RSS feed (“Personal On Demand broadcast”)– Podcast reader

• iTunes

– You can download and watch podcast episodes directly on a Web site, or with a Web-based application


Exploring Podcasts


Exploring Podcasts


Exploring Podcasts

Web-based podcast services contain directory listings of audio and video podcasts– Odeo manages podcast selections


How is a podcast different than an audio or video file published on a Web site?

You don’t have to continuously check a site for an update, but your computer is automatically updated

You can download podcasts to multimedia players


Features of Podcast Readers


Anatomy of a Podcast Feed


Creating Podcasts

Requires basic equipment for recording and editing digital audio and video– Most laptops have built-in Webcams and

microphones, as well as recording software


Creating Podcasts


Configuring Blogger to Support Podcasts






Summary

Syndication is a way to distribute and share Web content– Web feeds

Users can subscribe to Web feeds using a Web browser or a feed reader application

Content publishers syndicate their content as feeds using either the RSS or Atom formats, represented in XML

Podcasts are RSS feeds with an enclosed multimedia file


Web 2.0: Concepts

and Applications

3Syndicating Content

Chapter 3 Complete

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Web 2.0: Concepts and Applications 3 Syndicating Content