Please note this article was first published in 15 Oct 2009. Its content may now be out of date. We recommend taking a look at more recent website building blog posts or check out our comprehensive support pages. If you are looking for information on our 14 day free website builder trial we have a large number of webpages that guide you throug the process.
This is the first of a new series called Jargon Buster. Written specifically for beginners, Reason8 Web Builders and technophobes, it will aim to help explain some of the most technically confusing and daunting aspects of computers and the internet.
We'll be looking at all sorts of scary things including: technical terms, applications, programs, functions and internet gadgets. Anything, in fact, which provokes responses such as: "Eh?", "You do what with which button?" or my favourite: "Can you possibly repeat that in English please?"...
We're going to start by explaining a relatively young Internet service called RSS Feeds, which will not only answer a few questions for you but could actually make your life easier!
The technical acronym for RSS is Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. In English, it means: Really Simple Supply of all the latest story headlines from all your favourite websites and blogs. Basically, we’re all busy with very little spare time and surfing the Internet for news or information can take hours. This service allows you to subscribe to the RSS Feeds from all your favourite websites and blogs. Once you’ve subscribed to the feeds from your favourite sites and blogs, all you have to do is click the drop down menu of the RSS button on your browser and you’ll be provided with a list of headlines. If you see a headline, which is of interest to you, all you have to do, is click the link and you’ll be provided with the whole Story, Blog or Tutorial. How simple is that!
When you visit your favourite Websites or Blog pages, if RSS Feeds are available, you may have a choice of ways to subscribe. Many browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox actually have an RSS icon within the toolbar for you to click – shown left. Or you may see text or image links such as “Subscribe to this feed”, which are normally found on the sides or bottom of the actual web page.
To use our blog pages as an example - look at the top of your browser now and find the RSS icon (click this link for its usual location). Click it to view the feeds available and then simply click the “Subscribe Now” link over on the right. To view your feeds, click the Favourites (Star) button, then the Feeds Button.
Open the DotGO blog pages in Firefox, again find the RSS Icon in your tool bar at the top. Click the icon and then in the drop down menu, click "Subscribe to RSS" In the next window, click "Subscribe Now". To view your Feeds, Click the Bookmarks icon in your toolbar, go down to "Bookmarks Toolbar" and choose which feeds to want to view.
Most RSS icons feature a drop down arrow, which provides an instant top headline list of the feeds you’ve subscribed to. Now every time a new blog is posted, it’ll be flagged in your RSS headline list for you to click on and view.
Different browsers work in slightly different ways and offer different options for accessing your RSS list but essentially subscribing and viewing RSS feeds follow a fairly standard rule of thumb and can be found by searching for the standard RSS Icon.
You can also view, subscribe to and share RSS feeds with friends and colleagues using Outlook. After adding a Feed, you’ll see a folder displayed in the Navigation Pane. Open the folder and you’ll see the latest headlines, which have been downloaded by Outlook who regularly check for new and updated items. You can then open, read, and delete just as you would any mail message but best of all you can move, flag or share the information with friends and colleagues by forwarding the information in just the same way you’d forward a message. Why not send them the DotGO Blog Feed.
If you don’t use Outlook and still want to tell your friends about these or indeed any other websites or blog pages you’ve found, you could always “send the page by email”. In your browser window, you can either click File > Send page by email / send Link…. or some browsers actually have a button on the toolbar.
Please remember, this article was first published 15/10/2009. The content may be out of date and you cannot post comments any more. Please check out our new blog.
We have been in business since 2003. Back when the founders of Facebook were still in college, we were writing code and helping our users create great websites.
If you need help, why not check out our huge selection of videos, step-by-step guides and knowledge papers.
We have helped many thousands of our customers create great looking websites. Take a look at a few examples, created using our website builder.
These days, websites without background videos run the risk of appearing old-fashioned. Even dinosaurish,
There’s nothing wrong with dinosaurs, or with looking like one. Dinosaurs are cool. Unless they’re chasing you of course.
But our new background videos have landed, exploded and changed the game. They have wiped out the old standards for beautiful websites, and have replaced them with a new standard that will leave all other websites looking like fossils.
Luckily, both our existing clients and our new ones have access to this brilliant new feature we’ve introduced, and we’d like to share its benefits with you today.
A superhero is only super because he or she stands out amongst the crowd. If we were a planet of flying, teleporting, time-freezing super-strong aliens, then we wouldn’t think there was anything super about us. When it comes to using formatting methods such as bold, italics, capitals or centering, all of these little text-enhancing superheroes will only stand out if they are used sparingly, in the right place, and when absolutely necessary…
Reviews, testimonials, recommendations – we all seek reassurance in them. We might even skip past the good ones just to see if there are any bad ones.Other people are sources of information for us. They can tell us whether this product or service is actually any good or not. Reading their testimonials builds trust in your business.
If I have multiple domain names, will my website rank better on the search engines? Will I be more likely to draw in extra traffic? Will my website become a supercharged powerhouse bursting with domain names that will become a magnet for new business? The answer might not be quite as positive as you would expect, but hopefully we can answer your questions during this article…
Choosing a domain name for your new business may not be as simple as you think. Most people just use their company name, but unless your branding is well recognised, this may work against you…
Is it possible for your business website to look too good? Too polished? Too slick? Too posh?
Perhaps it depends on how slick and posh you already are.
“If a customer fills out a form and adds their email address, what can I do with it?” This is a terrible question, asked by non-GDPR compliant cavemen and cavewoman who still think it’s OK to treat other people’s info as if it’s their own…
You are building a GDPR-friendly email list, and now you want to start sending out newsletters, the professional way. Where do you start?
“Don’t sell your product. Solve their problems.” Mark Cuban’s wise words sum up the art of selling – it is about helping people, fixing problems and improving the lives of others…
iF we’re honest, not many people will accuse you of clownery for not having a proper business email address. But they might not call you professional either…
Building a professional website to grow your business should be easy and seamless from start to end. We offer to build your business website for you, in four easy steps…
When July 2018 hits, Google Chrome will make sure a strong warning will pop up on any website that has not yet updated from “http” to “https”. The warning will include something along the lines of “Website Not Secure”. Here’s how to avoid it.
We are the DotGO: where everything is included and everything is managed for you, all at no extra cost.
We design websites to grow your business and wow your customers.
We are a UK company filled with passionate website designers and clever writers.
Friendly, professional and fast customer service is at the heart of everything we do. Our designers and unique technology make your website quick, responsive and secure, giving you the best chance of ranking well on Google.
If you need a shop, our own powerful ecommerce platform integrates beautifully. We train you to use our simple tools to update your website yourself. Our UK support team are on hand to provide sensible support and advice whenever you need it. We even power your professional email service, so you stay in contact with your customers by phone, tablet or computer.
Oh, and the best bit? It's cheaper than you may think, and we can get started right now.