RSS stands for two thing: Rich Site Summary or Real Simple Syndication. For Tabernacle’s website, Prayer, Media, and Wish-list publish an RSS feed.

Once a worship service is posted, the website updates the feed. Users, utilizing an RSS reader, will be notified of the update automatically. The reader checks the feed on a regular basis, and upon discovery of a new item, alerts the user and shows it’s content.

The advantage of using RSS is that the website comes to you, as opposed to you having to constantly check the site for updates.

Still don’t get it? Think of it as an email… an RSS reader is a special program to receive “RSS emails”. Once the site is updated, an “email” is sent out and the reader alerts you to the update.

Many newspapers, blogs, and other information sites publish an RSS feed to easily stay in contact with subscribers. Tabernacle will utilize an RSS feed to keep members updated on the latest happenings of the church.  Additionally we are already using it alongside our calendar software.

The advantage of using another technology other than email is that spam, viruses, phishing, and identity theft are not a problem. Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and even your web browser make it easy to subscribe to feeds.

Want to learn more? Type “what is rss” in your preferred search engine to understand how to take advantage of this latest technology.