What is more many of the RSS Reader programs are free. So expense is zero.

Let me demonstrate by example:

How to Set Up The FirstScience RSS Feed

1/ Visit http://www.rssreader.com/download.htm and follow their installation instructions.

(Note - There are many 'RSS Readers' on the market eg Feedreader.com (free), FeedDemon (free trial - costs $30 after) - However, RSS Reader is free, and is nice and simple to get started with. If you start loving the whole concept you can always try out these others another time. There is a long list of available RSS Readers at http://blogspace.com/rss/readers - If you are using a Mac rather than a PC, then unfortunately your choice is limited to NetNewsWire at the moment, which costs $39.95 after a free 30 day tria )

2/ Right click on any of the 'xml', 'rss' or 'RSS Feeds' links to the left. (Doesn't matter which one as they all go to the same file - firstscience.xml) - Then choose 'Copy Shortcut'

In effect you will have copied this url:

http://www.firstscience.com/site/rss/firstscience.xml

3/ Open up RSS Reader and then click on add (+) channel/feed and then paste (click right mouse button) the url and press ok.

Thats it!! You have now added the FirstScience feed to RSS Reader.

'Errr.. Ok. So what? Why is that good? Where are those benefits you mentioned?

Here is where it gets exciting!

If you take a look at the FirstScience.com Feed from within RSS Reader you will see that I have set up links to many of the major content areas on the site. Every week I add a new article, poem, facts, crosswords and a Weekly editorial (Wooo hooo You made it here!) to FirstScience. At the moment the way I let people know about the new stuff is via the FirstScience Newsletter which I send out to over 10,000 happy folk once a week. However, because all of us are bombarded by spam, even though the newsletter is 100% opt-in, I am willing to bet your pension that many times it gets filtered out.

By providing an 'rss feed' (in addition to the newsletter), when I update the rss feed (ie by me changing the firstscience.xml document) once a week at the same time as sending out the newsletter. RSS reader will instantly tell you by flagging up on your desktop that the feed has changed ie new content added and available on FirstScience.com. You can then go into the program and view the links and information about the new content ie the new article, poem, ramble etc that I have added. Click through to the site and read any that spark your interest.