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RSS Feeds 

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:

·         IT Procurements and Contracts Update 

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, the URL you would copy for doit.maryland.gov IT Contracts Update is: http://www.doit.maryland.gov/rss/update.xml.
  • 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.