About RSS feeds & podcasts
What is RSS?
RSS automates the discovery and download of new podcast episodes.
RSS means you do not have to visit a website to check for new material. Instead, a client application (e.g. a RSS-enabled web browser, iTunes, or a RSS reader application) automatically downloads a small RSS file, and by looking at that file, knows if there is anything new. If there is anything new, then it might simply alert the user, or it might automatically download new stuff (e.g. podcasts).
To subscribe to an RSS feed, right-click on the orange XML icon (
or 
)
and select "Copy
Shortcut" or "Copy Link Location" to copy the location
URL and then paste it into your RSS
reader - follow the instructions for your particular news reader.
Left-clicking an RSS feed will just show you a raw XML
file.
RSS is not only for podcasting, it is also good for lots of kinds of information services - see this page for some examples.
What is a podcast?
- Podcast is another word for audio-visual content that you can transfer to and play on portable devices, such as an iPod. For example, an MP3 file.
- Podcasts are a series of individual podcast files (a series of episodes).
- Podcasting is the production and distribution over the internet of podcasts.
How do I access podcasts?
Most new web browsers automatically check for RSS feeds for you when you visit a website - for example, Safari, Firefox and Internet Explorer 7.
Or you can use a podcast client application (also known as a news reader). There are a range of different news readers available. See this list of podcast client applications ("podcatchers") and news readers at the DMOZ Open Directory Project.
What about Lectopia?
The University's Lectopia system is a podcast, but only in the sense that it can make available a downloadable audio file - not in the full sense of a series with an RSS feed.
Thanks to Stephen Young for his invaluable assistance.