How RSS Can Save You Time and Improve Your Fishing...

What's all the buzz about RSS? I'm sure many of you know about and use feed readers, but I thought I'd devote a few lines to the topic. I am not going to explain how it works - only what I use it for - saving time, and learning about things like fishing.

With the amount of information available on the Internet, it's impossible to keep tabs on it all. I use a web-based piece of software called Google Reader to help me find and remember things that interest me. I'll give you an example. I wanted a good, used 12' aluminum boat. I was willing to pay up to $400 or $500 for it, but I ended up paying nothing - actually, I traded a Zodiac for it - thanks to RSS. How did that happen?

There is a nifty Buy-and-Sell site called Kijiji (pronounced, Key-gee-gee) - a very popular service, available worldwide, for free. It works exactly like the classified ads section in a newspaper, without the fees. People post items they want to sell - other people search for them - they negotiate a final price, then exchange items. But, who has time to spend browsing through classified ads? it was far more appealing to me to automate the whole process.

This is where RSS comes in. The icon in today's illustration is the universal symbol for RSS. If you see that symbol on a website, it means you can subscribe to receive notifications whenever the content on the site changes. In my case, I searched Kijiji for 'boats for sale' in the Halifax area. Then I subscribed to the search results feed by clicking on the RSS symbol. Every time someone listed a boat for sale on Kijiji in Halifax, I received notification through Google Reader. After I found the boat I wanted, I simply canceled the feed with one click.

I use RSS feeds to subscribe to sites on fly fishing, on education, and technology - anything and everything that interests me. Google Reader collects and organizes all of my feeds into a kind of personalized online newspaper. So, what do you need to get started?

Just one thing - a feed reader. I like the web-based readers because you can access them from any computer, anywhere in the world. I recommend Google Reader - it's free, and my experience indicates that it is 'idiot-proof' - easy to install, easy to use, and reliable. Now, how about some content to go with that feed reader?

I enjoy reading Steve Dobson's Fisherman's Blog. He's an engaging writer with an 'outside-the-box' perspective on fly fishing. His subscribe link doesn't feature the RSS icon, but you'll find the link in the right hand sidebar where it says "Subscribe to Posts [Atom]". Simply click there, and you will be notified whenever Steve fires off a new post.

Another enjoyable read is the Global FlyFisher - a wealth of information for the traveling angler. It's published by Martin Joergensen, Steve Schweitzer, et al. You'll see the RSS icon prominently displayed. Click to subscribe.

I hope you enjoy the world of RSS. Using a feed reader will definitely save you time, and if you read some of the great tips and stories on these two sites, you may even improve your angling experience.

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!
-Random Phrump