RSS feeds

     Rich Site Summary, or RSS, is a way to display frequently-changing web content in an abbreviated fashion. For instance, websites that feature updated content such as blog entries, news stories, or podcasts, for example, may opt to make an alternate RSS feed available, featuring the content in a more linear format.  As an example, today's World News section of the CNN website looks like this:

     The RSS feed of the same section, however, appears as the following:

     We can see from CNN's World News RSS feed that the information from the World News section appears there in a condensed format.  There are no graphical enhancements to the basic content, and information is presented in a linear arrangement with summaries.  Many different stories can be accessed with a minimal amount of browsing.

     RSS feeds are useful for users who want to save time and energy looking for information. Subscribing to a feed means that it can be accessed in an easily navigable form, without any unnecessary embellishments. One of the most useful features of RSS feeds is that they are updated automatically.  As soon as a new entry appears on the site, it is syndicated via the RSS feed as well.  This makes it easy for frequent users to keep up with the most current items of interest, without having to sift through a larger webpage.  Additionally, for those who have feed reader widgets or gadgets installed to their blog or webpage, readers can access author-recommended material in its most current form as it is syndicated.

     One question that persists for me is why some RSS feeds are non-compatible with Blogger's 'Feed' gadget.  While some Atom and RSS feed URLs can be directly copied or modified to work, others would not be accepted to my page, even when they conformed to RSS.  Have you run into any similar problems?  Any comments or suggestions are welcome!