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What are news feeds?
News feeds (also known as RSS: Really Simple Syndication') are a free and easy way to keep up to date with a website. You can see when a website has added new content without having to actually visit the website.
All you need to get started is to choose a news reader.
What is a news reader?
News feeds are designed for computer programs called 'news readers'. These free programs check your list of news feeds and alert you when a site has been updated.
You can use two different types of news reader:
- a web-based reader allows you to read your feeds from any computer connected to the internet
- a computer-based reader will download your feeds to your main computer so you can read your feeds even if you are not connected to the internet.
How do I choose a news reader?
There are many different news readers to choose from, and new versions regularly appear. You will need to choose a news reader that is compatible with the operating system you are running on your computer.
To find a news reader that suits you, use a search engine or choose a news reader from the list below.
List of popular readers
Web-based RRS readers
Google reader
Bloglines
Yahoo
Computer-based RRS readers
Feedreader (for Windows)
How do I get the feed into my news reader?
Once you have chosen a news reader you simply select the feeds that you want to monitor. Most websites will have a little orange icon which signifies that the website content is available as a feed. Here's an example of the feed icon - 
For example, the ECA website has several feeds to choose from:
Or you can subscribe to all of the above feeds:
Clicking on the orange icon will take you to the relevant feed page. Simply copy the URL from the address bar into your feed reader (or drag the orange button into your web-based feed reader) and you are done!
Now you can keep up to date with ECA feeds without having to visit the site. If you see an article that interests you, simply click on the article title to be taken to the full webpage.
Can I use ECA feeds in my own website?
Early Childhood Australia encourages you to integrate ECA feeds into your own website.
You can do this for free – all we ask is that give proper attribution for the content. The attribution should read 'Early Childhood Australia' or www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au
For example, Early Childhood Australia has received requests from tertiary lecturers to integrate ECA WebWatch feeds into their early childhood student webpage.
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