In honor of RSS Awareness Day (May 1), here's a quick and easy guide to getting the most out of your Pongo (and other) blog subscriptions.
Here at The Pongo Blog, we offer two ways to subscribe: by email or RSS feed.
If you haven't the faintest idea what RSS is, why it's important, or why you would ever want or need to use it, this brief video should answer all your questions.
As the video explains, you'll need a "reader" – a web-based application that collects and displays RSS feeds – to use the RSS feature. Here are a couple of readers you could try, along with instructions on how to set them up and subscribe to your favorite blogs:
Bloglines
• Go to www.bloglines.com and sign up for a free account.
• Click the "Add" link in the left pane and enter the URL to the blog you want to subscribe to. (The Pongo Blog URL for RSS feeds is http://www.pongoresume.com/rss.cfm).
Google Reader
• Go to the www.google.com/reader and login to your Google Account or sign up for a free one.
• Click "Add subscription" and enter the blog URL.
Any time a blog is updated with a new post, your reader will grab it and store it for you to view any time you want. Some blogs will provide the reader with the full post while others, like Pongo, provide a summary. Just click on the headline to read the full post.
Remember, RSS feeds can free up your email inbox and organize all your blog subscriptions in one easy-to-view page, accessible from any computer, anywhere! Good luck and have fun!
Wow, I had no clue. I am so new at this stuff. It is confusing but this is very helpful as I have an interview on Monday and have found that through blogs, I can find out lots of information about prospective employers and co-workers. The person I am interviewing with today has a My Space page.
Glad we could help, Melody!
It's funny that you mention the MySpace page. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post (5 Ways to Cover Your Web Tracks) that tells you, step by step, how to clean up your online profiles so future employers don't get the wrong idea or judge you solely on your web presence. The fact that you've found a MySpace page belonging to the person you're going to interview with just proves that it's a two-way street.
Has this person's profile skewed your opinion at all? Do you think you'll act differently in the interview after having the insider's scoop on his/her personality?
Thanks for your comment!