Thing 3 - RSS

I had set up a Bloglines account last year as a graduate teaching assistant, because I had my students set up their own blogs, and it was a great way to keep track of their postings. But even though I had set it up before, I really didn't know exactly what it even meant. I didn't know what the RSS link I saw on web sites did, or that it meant Really Simple Syndication. I was still able to use Bloglines, but knowing more of the background on it really does give me a better understanding of what it is I'm doing, which is always helpful.
The problem with Bloglines is that it is addictive. I chose some general areas of interest and before I knew it I had 30-some feeds - which I think is way too many. I don't have time to look through each one when new things are posted, and so I managed to get it down to about 16, with the understanding that as my colleagues add their blogs, they will be added to my account. It's hard to pick and choose, because I always feel like I want to have an abundance of information at my fingertips, which is what Bloglines provides, yet I never have time to go through all of that information. My fear is that it could end up being more of a time-waster than a time-saver. But I guess I'll see how it all plays out. I think it's also difficult to pick and choose what is going to be quality - there are so many library/librarian blogs, that I don't know which ones would really work for me? I do have The Shifted Librarian, About Contemporary Literature, Unshelved (that comic is sweet) and of course Stephen King as feeds for me. I also included news feeds (in-forum and CNN), and have a feeling I will continue to add as interesting sites and blogs come up.
While I still am not convinced I have a complete understanding of RSS and how it all works, it is exciting to once again have all of my interests "aggregated" in one spot for me to enjoy. This is another "thing" I hope to continue after I finish my 23 things.