If you are seeing this post in an RSS reader, then please disregard it. If you are here because of an email reminder to visit the blog, then this message is for you.
Blogs are great because they use a technology called RSS (really simple syndication is one suggested expansion of the acronym - you can delve deeper in Wikipedia ). What RSS allows you to do is get updates via push - in other words, the computer alerts you there is new information, sort of like the newspaper coming through your letter box.
To benefit from RSS you need to use an RSS reader. This blog puts out what is called a feed, and the reader monitors that feed. If you have migrated to Outlook at MDACC, you can use Outlook as that reader. If properly configured, clicking on the orange RSS button should automatically hook you up to the feed (update - this will only work with Explorer 7, and not the current MDACC standard, Explorer 6).
To get our feed into Outlook please follow these simple steps:
1. In Outlook, on the Tools menu, click Account Settings.
2. On the RSS Feeds tab, click New.
3. Copy the RSS feed URL: http://www2.mdanderson.org/brainspore/atom.xml
4. In the New RSS Feed dialog box, paste the URL of the RSS Feed.
5. Click Add.
6. Click OK.
An alternative is to download a free RSS feedreader - my favorite is from newsgator.com - they have mac and windows versions. Once installed and configured they are like an email reader for RSS feeds.
A third alternative is to get the feed served via email directly. You can use a site like feedmyinbox.com (get it?) to do this. If you want to do that with this blog's feed, you will need to paste the feeds URL (http://www2.mdanderson.org/brainspore/atom.xml) not the main blog URL. Then you'll get email every time there is a new post.
Why go to all the trouble? Like email, RSS readers remember what has been read and what not. Since almost every journal now puts out an RSS feed this is a good way to keep up with the information flood. Also, news sites have feeds. Lastly, you can easily convert Google searches to feeds - this is a great way to automatically search for a keyword or news on a company on competitor you are watching.
If you want to know more, post a comment or send me an email.
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