3 Ways to Use RSS Feeds to Keep Your Knowledge Fresh

Earlier today, I was reading an article by Eric Stoller called Using RSS to Feed My Brain. He pointed out that he subscribes to 400 different RSS feeds to help stay current on issues.

RSS feeds are great because they deliver content to you, instead of you checking on each of your favorite sites. If a site regularly puts out new articles, there is a great chance they have an RSS feed. You simply need to look for an RSS icon  and subscribe to it with an RSS reader.

While I do not have 400 different feeds, I do have a number that I like to follow. Like Eric, I use RSS feeds to follow a number of different interests from game theory to informal learning. I even have feeds to keep track of interesting posts on my martial art. I also subscribe to a number of journal articles on various topics. Using the University of Wyoming’s Library databases, I am able to set up search queries and have new journal articles automatically appear in my RSS feeds.

Regardless of the topics you are following, you need an easy way to follow the discussions. Here are the three ways I track my RSS feeds:

Google Reader

Note: Google Reader no longer exists. I now use Feedly.

Like Eric, I also use Google Reader to keep track of my RSS feeds. While it does not necessarily matter which reader you use, using a reader makes following RSS feeds much easier. I used to use Netvibes to track my feeds, but have recently moved my feeds to Google Reader. It is a matter of what is comfortable for you. Right now, Google Reader is my RSS reader of choice. [Update: Google Reader has been discontinued. I have since moved onto Feedly.]

Paper.li

I have also been pulling my RSS feeds into Paper.li, which creates a “newspaper” from the feeds. This newspaper is then emailed to me daily. I really like the look and feel of the resulting product. However, if your RSS feeds are not really prolific, you could be disappointed in the final product. Paper.li will also allow you to build a newspaper from up to ten different feeds to include Twitter, Facebook, RSS, and Google+.

Flipboard

I really love to use Flipboard to review the daily Tweets. I have now started to use Flipboard to follow my RSS feeds that I have collected through Google Reader. The results are amazing. Flipboard is an application for the iPad and iPhone. Each story is expanded to provide more detail. There is a capability to forward an article by email or Tweet.

Well, these are my three methods for stay abreast of the news through RSS feeds. Do you have a strategy that works for you? I would love to hear about it. Leave a comment below.

Additional Reading

• Time to Find a New RSS Reader
• Leveraging the University Library’s RSS Feeds
• RSS and Google Reader, Staying Up-to-Date With Less Effort
• How I Use Flipboard, Twitter, and Diigo to Advance My Professional Development
• Back in the Groove with Paper.li
• Why I Am a Fan of Getting My News With Paper.Li
• Let IFTTT Pull Together Your Daily Reading List