What Is It?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and refers to a particular type of web content that is written in XML coding language. RSS allows visitors to subscribe to specific information on a site and obtain automatic notification when that content is updated. RSS buttons are commonly labeled with this icon: 
The doit.maryland.gov web site provides RSS feeds for the following information:
How Do I Use RSS Feeds?
The process for setting up an RSS feed is relatively simple and inexpensive. The first step is to choose an RSS reader. An RSS reader is a small software program that collects and displays RSS feeds. Some browsers, such as the current versions of Firefox and Safari have built in RSS readers. If you’re using a browser that doesn’t currently support RSS, there are a variety of RSS readers available on the web; most are free to download but others may be purchased.
Each reader has a slightly different way of adding a new feed or “channel”. Be sure to follow the directions for your specific reader, however, in most cases, here's how it works:
- Click on the link or small XML button near the feed you want. For example, (doit.maryland.gov IT Contracts Update :). You'll see a page displaying XML code.
- From your web browser's address bar, copy the URL (web address). For example, copy the URL for the doit.maryland.gov IT Procurements and Contracts RSS feed
- Paste that URL into the "Add New Channel" section of the reader. The RSS feed will start to display and regularly update the headlines for you.
