RSS (an abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication) is a web feed
format used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog
entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized
format. An RSS document is usually called a "feed" and
includes summarized text, plus data such as publishing dates and
authorship.
Web feeds are a means to syndicate content automatically. RSS feeds
can be read using software called an "RSS reader",
"feed reader", or "aggregator", which can be
web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-device-based. A standardized XML
file format allows the information to be published once and viewed by
many different programs. The user subscribes to a feed by entering
the feed's URL into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a
browser that initiates the subscription process. The RSS reader
checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new work, downloads
any updates that it finds, and provides a user interface to monitor
and read the feeds.