RSS Basics - Information Trapping: Real-Time Research on the Web - page 32

he private list requires you to create an account using only a user name
and password. his level of security is basic at best, so don't put anything
ultra-sensitive in the private list, where you create your categories of RSS
feeds and then populate them with individual feeds.
Once you've created a list of feeds you want to monitor, you navigate
through this list on the let. When you see an interesting item, click on it,
and it appears in the Web page on the right.
When you right-click on the title of an item, you have the option of sharing
it via e-mail. To take advantage of this, you need to add your e-mail settings
to Wizz RSS. You can add those by accessing Account Options.
Wizz RSS isn't the most full-featured RSS reader you can use, but it's simple
to integrate into Firefox. And if you already use Firefox, it gives you the
ability to use RSS without having to add another tool to your toolbox.
Sage. Another RSS reader for Firefox, Sage is even simpler than Wizz RSS.
You can get more information about it at https://addons.mozilla.org/exten-
sions/moreinfo.php?id=77.
Once installed, Sage looks a little like Wizz RSS ( Figure 2.18 ). However, it
doesn't require an account to add RSS feeds. Adding feeds is as simple as
right-clicking and choosing New Bookmark—if you've used Firefox's book-
marks at all, it should be very intuitive for you.
Sage is integrated with online-resource Technorati, so you can see what other
sites are linking to stories you ind interesting. In addition, Sage's options let
you toggle a feature to search for feeds (it hooks right into Feedster) and use
a custom style sheet for rendering if you don't use the one Sage provides. I
recommend Sage for lightweight feed-wrangling, especially if you don't want
to bother with the account setup requirements for Wizz RSS.
RSS feed readers that integrate with your browser are good because they
save you a step. You don't have to worry about another sotware package
to install or another site to keep up with. On the other hand, they're not as
robust as standalone RSS readers. I recommend them only if you don't have
an extensive number of sites to watch, or if there's a small, critical num-
ber of feeds you want to keep close watch over. Having them right in your
browser keeps them close at hand when you need them.