There’s no doubt that subscribing to someone’s blog or website via RSS in order to automatically receive their content each time their site is updated is a convenient way to stay on top of the latest information.
No manually going to a site to check if there is new stuff.
Instead, it comes to you automatically in your RSS aggregator, either directly in your computer or to your preferred online service (or both if you use the latest version of FeedDemon).
Recently I added some additional RSS subscription options to this blog, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. What that means is that if you use services like Bloglines, NewsGator, My Yahoo, My AOL, etc, you can now subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed through your preferred service.
But some people like to receive blog updates via email. A long-established service for that is FeedBlitz. I’ve never offered that option (can’t think why not, actually) even though two readers recently told me they would prefer to get my posts in their inboxes.
Well, now you can subscribe by email.
RSS feed management company FeedBurner has just introduced a useful new service where you can subscribe to blog posts by email. I’ve enabled that service on this blog.
One of the great things about using FeedBurner to manage your subscriptions is that every different way you offer people to get your content – whether it’s via RSS or via email – that content comes from the same source: the core RSS feed that FeedBurner manages. So no juggling multiple RSS feeds which makes it very difficult indeed to see how many subscribers you actually have, an issue I had with my old blog.
And one thing about the new FeedBurner service – if you already have FeedBlitz or Squeet enabled via FeedBurner, you’ll need to de-activate it in order to even see the FeedBurner email option in the ‘Publicize’ tab in your feed account settings.
Whichever subscription option you choose, thanks for subscribing.
[Edit] Naturally, I tried out the FB email service for myself and signed up to get my own posts by email. Mostly to see that it works ok.
It does, very nicely. HTML or plain-text options. I have HTML so see nice formatting plus images. I do like the email address it comes from: ’emailenfuego.net.’ Heh! Spanish for ’email on fire’ :)
Another good touch – in the footer of the email, you see this:
Nice encouragement to sign up for the RSS subscription!
6 responses to “More subscription choices”
Hi Neville – the sub by email thing looks interesting – might have a look at that for my own blog. One advantage is that it means RSS feeds can be delivered easily to mobile (cell) phones, as while not many people have smartphones with built in RSS aggregators, quite a few do have phones that receive email.
I’d be interested to learn which aggregator you use to read feeds!
That’s a good point, Dave: getting the posts on your mobile phone. Think Blackberry, too.
Re aggregator, I use FeedDemon, have done since 2004. One important benefit of using a desktop app like FD is that you have all the RSS content on your own computer. One benefit: when you travel, you can sync all your feeds before you go and then catch up with everything offline when you’re on the plane, for instance.
The latest version of FD also synchronises your RSS feeds with your account at NewsGator Online. So you have the best of both worlds.
Yeah, I have FeedDemon too and have tried the sync with Newsgator, which works a treat. The only problem is that for UK users, the NewsGator site is utter, utter pants. The US have a nice new spangly version, apparently, but the UK one is dull and boring.
I actually probably spend more time in my web aggregator than my desktop one (as I scan the blogs during worktime) and so for ease of use I go for Bloglines, which is just so much better a user experience, I think, than Newsgator right now. A shame, because I love FeedDemon. Hopefully it will be sorted out soon.
Neville, if you’re interested to test other email syndication services, Richard MacManus has a review of Zookoda and Yutter.
[…] 1. More subscription choices, Neville Hobson gives a good overview of the RSS tools. I was so inspired that I’ve added tons to Strive Notes. Check out the new subscribe button in the right margin. […]
Thanks for that tip, Constantin. There are quite a few content-to-email services out there. But I want to see how FB’s works.