What are News Feeds?

News feeds allow you to see when websites have added new content. You can get the latest updates in one place, as soon as its published, without having to visit the websites you have taken the feed from. Feeds are also known as RSS and are just web pages, designed to be read by computers rather than people.

How do I start using feeds?

In general, the first thing you need is something called a news reader. Most people already have this type of software as most later versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari etc. have this facility built-in. It is a piece of software that checks the feeds and lets you read any new articles that have been added. There are many different versions, some of which are accessed using a browser, and some of which are downloadable applications.

Browser-based news readers let you catch up with your RSS feed subscriptions from any computer, whereas downloadable applications let you store them on your main computer, in the same way that you either download your e-mail using Outlook, or keep it on a web-based service like Hotmail. Once you have chosen a news reader, all you have to do is to decide what content you want it to receive. For example, if you would like to hear when the DHF updates its publications page in relation to your interest group, simply visit the appropriate page and you will notice an orange button on the left hand side.

If you click on the RSS button you will go to the RSS page and from there can subscribe to the feed by clicking on "subscribe to this feed" (Free service) Most sites that offer feeds use a similar orange button, but some may just have a normal web link.

Advice on choosing a dedicated news reader here