RSS is most commonly believed to stand for Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication. RSS formats are specified using a language called XML, a generic specification for the creation of data formats. This standardized XML format allows published content, or an RSS feed, to be viewed by various different programs. These programs are known as RSS readers, feed readers or aggregators. By entering a feeds URI or URL into a reader, or clicking on the RSS icon, a user subscribes to a feed and will be able to receive updates via the reader.
RSS feeds are good for a variety of different reasons. The website that provides the feed has the advantage of receiving free back links from other websites or feed directories. This can be good for increasing a sites popularity and can in turn result in the website making money for the owner through activities such as advertising. Web feeds also benefit publishers as they are able to syndicate content automatically. The benefit to readers of these feeds of RSS technology is that they can sign up to receive updates from favored fields without having to continuously check for updates themselves. And because RSS readers enable a user to subscribe to a number of different feeds, users are able to aggregate feeds from various sources in to one place.