Q: What is RSS?
A: RSS is another weird little computer acronym which stands for "Really Simple Syndication". As with most computer and magic stuff, there's a ton of stuff lurking deep in the bowels of RSS, but in reality it truly is very simple for you to use. All you really need to know is that RSS is a list of items which you receive and read as soon as the list is available. I know it reads as boring as dirt growing, but there are features to RSS which really make it slick!

Q: What does RSS do for me?
A: You know how you visit a news website and see all those headlines that change whenever new events take place? That's basically what RSS provides you: real-time headlines about things that concern this website (and hopefully, you!). Things like magic news items, convention announcements, and even web updates are all handled like those news headlines -- in real-time, without cluttering up your email box. It's the best way of staying current with happenings in magic and without any intrusion since you dictate when the RSS list of items (or "feed") is read! Wow, info you want without having it forced on you -- how slick is that!

Q: How do I set Visions RSS up?
A: All you need to use RSS is a way to read the feed (which we'll talk about in a bit) and the location of the Visions XML (another acronym which refers to code of the Visions RSS feed), which is http://www.online-visions.com/visions.rss. With those two little things, you're ready to go!

Q: Do I need to buy anything?
A: Now would I do that to you? Of course it doesn't cost you anything, not one shekel, rupee, or buck! The Visions feed is free, most ways of reading the feed (called "aggregators") are free... like the true "best of the net", the RSS tech is free for the taking and using. Oh, sure, there are some fancy aggregators (remember, those are programs you use to read the Visions feed), but I've never used them: the free methods are just good, if not better. If you want to spend money, you can, but you sure don't have to.

Q: What software do I need?
A: As mentioned before, you need what is called an "aggregator", which is a fancy name meaning somethng which reads the Visions RSS feed. There are lots of aggregators you can download and install, depending on what computer you're using and what features you want; for a long list of aggregators and where to get them, check out Lockergnome's RSS resource page. Two you might want to look at are "Bottom Feeder" (for a ton of systems, including Mac) and "FeedReader" (for Windows).

Q: Do I have to install, learn, and use special software?
A: Nope. Some web portals (like MyYahoo) already allow you to add any RSS feed you specify to your start page. In those cases, getting the feed is as simple as opening a web page. And some of those aggregator thingies also work within a program you already use (like NewsGator, which works inside of Microsoft Outlook Express). That absolute bare-bones, no-software-needed option is to use a web portal; that's the simplest way of getting started.

Q: What will be in the Visions RSS feed?
A: The Visions RSS feed will contain breaking news items, real-time website updates, lecture notices, dealer specials, announcements... you name it. The point of the Visions RSS feed is to get timely information to you quickly, so that's what you're a-gonna get.

Q: How often will the Visions RSS feed be updated?
A: Constantly! The benefit of an RSS feed is it provides real-time, as-soon-as-I-get-it-you-get-it info. That means no scheduled updates, but current information you get when you need it.

Q: Why concern myself with Visions RSS at all?
A: Visions is, primarily, a monthly magazine delivered to you on the web. However, sometimes there are things which just can't wait a month to get out. Enter Visions RSS!

Q: Does this mean Visions By Mail is going away?
A: Nope! Visions By Mail is still the best way of finding out when the Visions website has been updated with a new issue. Visions RSS is simply a way to also find out other news and pertinent information without having to wait a month to get it.

Q: Okay, silly question...
A: Let me stop you : there really ain't no such a thing as a silly question! If you want to ask about Visions RSS or anything else about Visions, drop me a line! That's what this page, and I, am here for!

 

Shane