In spite of the fact that RSS is now one of the most commonly used means of syndicating content, there are still a number of aspects which can cause confusion even amongst more experienced users.

Amongst the most common of these are:

1. Each time a new item is added to the feed, a new .rss file has to be created.
Many RSS users still work under the misconception that each time another item is added to the feed a new .rss file needs to be created when all that is really needed is a new entry on the existing .rss file.
If all you have done is add a new item to a feed, there is not even a need to edit its existing entries.

2. There is no way to prevent search engine spiders from accessing your feed.
It is a fact that most search engines (certainly all the important ones) will pay attention to the disallow parameters of a site's robots.txt file.
In most cases NOINDEX and NOFOLLOW meta tags will also stop search engines from indexing your feed.

3. Any RSS feed is fair game for reproduction and syndication.
Whilst RSS feeds are mainly used for syndication purposes, their content is still subject to international copyright laws.
Information about copyrights and copyright laws can be found by clicking here.
Indeed, there are a number of reasons why a feed's author would not want their content reproduced and although some efforts have been made to create standards which differentiate between syndicated and copyrighted content, these have not as yet found common support across the sector.
In most cases it is best to check a feed's terms of service (or failing that, the associated web site's) to see if it is offered for syndication.

4. RSS is a blog technology with no practical application to other aspects of the web.
It is certainly true that blogs have helped RSS feeds to become one of the most common content syndication technologies, but RSS is now being used to distribute a wide range of information from podcasts to press releases and especially articles.
These days, feeds are one of the most effective means of bringing fresh content to commercial web sites as well as keeping its visitors and clients informed of new developments, special offers, discounts, etc.

5. GUID is something you find sticking to the bottom of your shoe; right?
A Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) is a randomised number which prevents content from being duplicated by uniquely naming each item of a feed.
Since these numbers are often used by feed readers to determine if a feed item is new or merely updated, assigning a different GUID to each item within your feed is strongly recommended if not vitally important.
You can find more information about GUIDs at Wikipedia

If you are not yet using RSS to stay in touch your visitors and customers and keep them informed of the latest developments on your site or in your company, might I suggest that you take some time to investigate this fantastic marketing tool.

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About the Author

Sasch Mayer is an accomplished writer with a background in computers, information technology and the internet in particular.
Since late summer of 2005 he has been living and working in Larnaca, Cyprus under contract to IceGiant web design.