What's an RSS feed?

RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" or "RDF Site Summary" depending on who you ask. Simply put, it's a way for news sites to share lists of their current articles and headlines. If you've been to any of a number of "portal" sites that provide news and headline summaries from many other sources, you've seen RSS in action.

There are several sites that will aggregate RSS feeds for you into a custom page with exactly the news you want. There are also standalone desktop applications, both free and commercial, that will perform the same function, available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and other platforms. Search your favorite search engine for "RSS aggregator" or "RSS syndication" for more information.

What's a Podcast?

A podcast is an audio file that was created as a means to convey information. Podcasts can be shows that come from radio networks like NPR or from individuals on subjects that interest them. Josh Tickell's podcasts generally relate to areas that interest him such as biodiesel, oil prices  and his ongoing recovery work in New Orleans. Most podcasts he does are done on the road, using his iPod to record interviews and soundbites with people he meets.

I've got iTunes (the free software for PCs and Macs from the Macintosh web site), but How Do I Sign Up for Josh's Biodiesel America Podcasts?

It's simple. First open iTunes. Go to the menu at the top of the screen. Click on 'Advanced'. Choose 'Subscribe to Podcast' from the drop-down menu. A box will appear into which you can type or paste a URL (web address). Next, go to the little orange XML button on the podcasts box on Josh's blog page. Click on that button. Now you will see a page of funny text, but don't worry, you don't need any of that information. All you need is the URL (web addres) that is displayed in the top bar of your internet browser. Highlight that address (you can use the cursor and the 'Shift' key or hold the mouse key down while moving the pointer over the address). Once the address is highlighted, copy it (on the PC, click the 'Control' button and the 'C' key at the same time, on the mac use the apple key and the 'c' key). Now, go back to iTunes and paste that URL (on the PC, click 'Control' and the 'V' keys simultaneously; on the mac use the apple key and the 'v' key simultaneously) into the box that iTunes opened when you clicked on 'Subscribe to Podcast'.  Now click on 'OK'. You can select Josh's podcasts from a list in your iTunes browser and even download them to your iPod.