So what is a blog anyway?

Blog is short for weblog. A weblog is an online journal or newsletter that is frequently updated and intended for public viewing. A blog is intended to be a collaborative space within a website that visitors can post comments, link to, add to, or just read on a weekly, daily, hourly basis. We are choosing to utilize blogs to keep readers up-to-date on events, engaged in meaningful dialogue, and provided access to useful resources. We hope Northshore blogs will become an online community space to draw each other closer to God and one another.

What is RSS and how can I use it?

With RSS, receiving news and blog updates is about as easy as point-and-click.

RSS, short for ”Really Simple Syndication,” allows you to choose the content you like and have it delivered to you as soon as it is published to the internet.

This means no more bouncing and clicking from site to site to site to see what’s new. Updates are brought straight to your computer.

The first thing you need in order to access RSS feeds is a news reader, also known as an aggregator. There are all kinds of news readers, some web-based and used through your browser, some downloaded and used on your desktop or PDA.

Some free RSS readers include Omea (For Windows) or Google Reader (Web Based).

Now what?

Once you’ve found a reader you like, you simply have to figure out what sites you’d like to be kept up-to-date on. To use this site as an example: look for this symbol and click on “ENTRIES RSS” on the right side. It will send you to our feed and you can subscribe by cutting and pasting the URL (web address) of the feed into your news reader.

Each news reader will be able to tell you in more specific detail how to make the most of its features. It is also worth mentioning that some browsers, including Internet Explorer 7, Firefox and Mac’s Safari have built-in readers. Expect to see this more and more.

Just subscribe to whatever content you desire and check your reader for periodic updates.