What is RSS?

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) lets web publishers distribute informational "feeds" that include headlines, summaries, links to full Web pages, and even music, videos, and photos to Web users, and lets Web users collect this information from many different sources across the Internet.

Use the City's RSS feeds to learn about the latest updates to the Web site as soon as they're posted, including:

• Latest updates to the City's home page >> (Add to Google) (Add to MyYahoo!)
• Latest City news releases >> (Add to Google) (Add to MyYahoo!)
• Latest updates to City department content:

There are a number of ways that you can subscribe to free RSS feeds from Web sites that interest you:

• The latest Web browsers, including Internet Explorer 7 (and newer), Firefox 3 (and newer), and Safari have built-in support for RSS feeds.
• Web sites like Yahoo! and Google allow you to place headlines from RSS feeds on personalized custom Web pages.
• Music & video software like Apple's iTunes allows you to subscribe to "podcasts" like those offered at alexandriava.gov/Podcasts.
• You can also use specialized "RSS aggregator" software and Web sites to manage RSS subscriptions.

A feed is posted in a text format called XML, which is displayed by the Web browser, Web site, or RSS reader according to the preferences you determine. When you see the symbol on a web page, it means there's an RSS feed available. On most of our Web pages, you can click the logo to quickly add that department's feed to your custom Yahoo! or Google page, or find the address for that department's RSS feed if you're using Firefox, Internet Explorer, or some other RSS software.

You can also make these feeds a part of your own Web site, so that you can share them with your neighbors, customers, clients, friends, family, or anyone else who visits your site.

RSS is one more way the City of Alexandria is using technology to make it easier for you to access information and services. We hope you find it useful, and we'd love to hear your feedback. For much more information about RSS, including links to aggregators, visit Yahoo! and Wikipedia.