PC World magazine has published an excellent article on RSS and RSS aggregators:

http://www.pcworld.com/resource/printable/article/0,aid,116018,00.asp

It's a great intro to the subject of RSS. If you're looking for quick background on the subject, an article which can help explain RSS to friends or colleagues, or more information on your RSS reader software, be sure to read this article. Here's an excerpt:

Most of us keep a mental list of our favorite Web sites--perhaps 10 to 15 destinations that we swing by every day. But usually only a few of them contain new stories that are worth reading immediately, so a habit of loading and scanning each of these sites daily can waste a lot of time.

Fortunately, you can make such time sinks a thing of the past, thanks to a Web standard called RSS. This standard lets sites publish a simple listing of headlines and story summaries. Using a simple program called an RSS reader, you can subscribe to different news feeds and rapidly sift through condensed news. When you find an item you like, you click the headline to open the Web page containing the full story.

Read the full PC World story here.

Dave Pollard writes on his How to Save the World weblog about how to improve your weblog and attract more attention to it. He explains in this article about his top 5 ways to improve your blog:

• Provide something unique
• Provide something valuable
• Be first
• Do your research
• Learn to write very well

and his top 5 ways to attract more attention to your weblog:

• Use other media to pull people to your blog
• Write, at least sometimes, about 'hot' topics
• Make a great first impression
• Learn by studying who's reading what, and what works
• Get outside more

Read the full text of his article here.

Blogs are increasingly being used as a tool in the classroom. Richard E. Ferdig writes in T.H.E. Journal:

In this article, we will describe the pedagogy behind blogs. We will address the reasons why blogs should be used as one of many teaching and learning tools, as well as describe the potential benefits of blogs for educators. Drawing on our own research and teaching, we will conclude with specific strategies for using blogs in the classroom.

He notes Four Benefits of Student Blogging:

• The use of blogs helps students become subject-matter experts.
• The use of blogs increases student interest and ownership in learning.
• The use of blogs gives students legitimate chances to participate.
• The use of blogs provides opportunities for diverse perspectives, both within and outside of the classroom.

http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/articleprintversion.cfm?aid=4677