Thing 4-Keeping up!

Hi again!

We are on to Thing #4-Keeping Up!  This thing is all about effectively managing all various news sites and blogs you visit via RSS, or really simple syndication.  Imagine you visit multiple news sites, blogs and the like each day.  RSS tools can be used to bring the latest posts to you all in one location, rather than you having to visit each site each day (or several times a day), to see if there is something new.  It puts the information right at your fingertips (or on your phone, as it were), saving you time and energy!

I'll admit that while I'm well aware of RSS and what it does, and have been for several years, I've never used it.  Call me old fashioned, call me crazy, but I sort of enjoy waking up, sipping my cup(s) of coffee, and visiting all my favorite sites and blogs each morning. 

But alas, 23 Things is not about sticking with what you already know, it is about trying and exploring new things!  So, I chose to download Flipboard, an RSS app that is free and available for both Apple and Android.

You must first create an account, then the app lets you choose a few basic topics you'd like to see in your Flipboard newsfeed-news, sports, and the like.  Then you are offered some subtopics-if you choose news, you might see subtopics like travel, fashion, food, politics, and more.  Once you've selected some options, you see your initial Flipboard, and from there you can add your own favorite sites (social network, news sites, blogs, you name it!).

The main feature of this RSS tool in particular that sets it a bit apart is the creation of what they call "Magazines."  You can create a magazine called "Dream Vacations," for example and then add items (articles) to your magazine related to your dream vacations.  If you're familiar with Pinterest, its somewhat similar to pinning things to a themed board.  You can then flip through the pages of articles you've saved like you would flip through the pages of a magazine.

I used this app to follow both personal and professional sites and blogs.  Visually, I like the layout and how organized everything looks.  Scrolling through the latest posts on a news site, for example, is easy and enjoyable, but if you want detailed information you have to click to see the full story, which takes you to another page. 

In the end, I don't think I'll be using this app (or any like it) very extensively in the future.  I'd rather just look at each site one at a time, as I have in the past.  RSS feeds just aren't for me.  However-there is one exception to that statement: I like the idea of using them at work.  Imagine working at a reference desk...sometimes you have a few spare moments.  Flipboard would be great to use then, to catch up on the latest professional news, as you can quickly glimpse all the latest headlines, and even make a magazine of things to read up on more fully at a later time.  So, perhaps I'll keep my account going, if only for professional information. 

Next time I post we'll be on to Thing 5-Notetaking!  Stay tuned!