Thing 6

So I've been busy adding feeds to my Google Reader, and it's been fun. I've added some authors like Stephenie Meyer and Sarah Dessen, as well as youth fiction blogs and a couple of anime related feeds. I found searching through the Google Reader to be somewhat time consuming, as searching for a keyword(s) would find if it had been used at some point rather than a feed devoted to it. Much like a normal Google search then! Even the browsing by categories was way too general. In the end I much preferred just visiting websites and blogs I had in the past, and subscribing to them if they had feeds.

I don't know if I have my head fully wrapped around RSS quite yet though. Sure, I understand the concept, but more in terms of how I do it. I don't know if I'd be able to fully explain it to someone else! I'm not really sure how it affects the way I find information on the internet...other than how I don't have to check multiple sites for updates anymore.

I've noticed that libraries use RSS on their websites and blogs, and it's certainly a useful tool. Being able to keep people updated with the smallest amount of effort on their part is great. They might even be more likely to keep better informed that way. But they'd have to know about feeds, and I'm not sure how many do. Wicked! can be added to a feed reader for instance, but I doubt any of the teens we try to target are aware of RSS.

I don't have a weirdest feed, and I didn't really see one in my searching, but my favourite at the moment is the Hey! Teenager of the Year blog. Pretty impressive!