RSS FAQ

You can now place CSO headlines on your Web site–or even your own desktop.

We've developed dozens of general and specialized news feeds (RSS-format) available to the public, just look for the RSS symbol ( ) or click on the RSS button on your browser toolbar

Q. What is RSS?
A. For a quick primer check out Wikipedia.

Q. Where can I see your full list of available feeds?
A. Head to http://www.csoonline.com/feeds

Q. What format do your feeds use?
A. RSS, which is a flavor of XML specifically designed for the syndication of Web content.

Q. Do I need permission to put one of your feeds on our Web site?
A. We invite any site with a genuine interest in information technology issues to use our feeds. They shouldn't be altered to remove any information (including, of course, the source information and our logo). While not required, we'd sure appreciate it if you could drop us an e-mail at online@cxo.com and let us know you're using one. We reserve the right to request that a site remove a feed if we feel it is being used inappropriately.

Q. How do I put one of your feeds on my Web site?
A. You'll need software to process and parse the data so it displays properly within a Web browser (without it, all your users will see is raw XML.)

Unfortunately we are unable to offer technical assistance on processing XML. However, there are a number of Web sites with details on working with RSS files as well as links to tools, including O'Reilly Network's RSS Development Center, Blogspace's RSS Info page and Internet.com's WebReference.

Q. How do I put an RSS feed on my desktop?
A. There are numerous RSS-reading desktop applications available, including Feedreader, Headline Viewer and Net Newswire (Mac OS X).

There are links to a bunch more on the Open Directory Project site. You'll need to download and install one of those applications on your system, then subscribe to the channel you want.

Q. What are included in your feeds?
A. Typically headlines, summaries and links back to full stories.

Q. I'd like a customized feed not available on your list.
A. It's unlikely we'll be able to customize our feeds for individuals or small sites. However, if you're a large site likely to drive substantial traffic our way, let's talk! You can send e-mail to online@cxo.com.

Q. What does RSS stand for?
A. We've seen the acronym variously described as Rich Site Summary and Really Simple Syndication, among other descriptions. However, the World Wide Web Consortium–the definitive source for Web standards–says it's RDF Site Summary (RDF stands for Resource Description Framework).