Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a lightweight XML format designed for sharing text and other Web content.   It is used by computer programs that organize headlines and other content for easy reading and is a good way to learn of new, updated and changed content.

How to subscribe to the Johns Hopkins RSS.

A program known as a feed reader or aggregator can check RSS-enabled webpages on behalf of any user and display any press releases or articles that it finds.

Depending on the source, RSS will deliver the entire text of the story to your newsreader, or just the first paragraph or headline. Clicking on a headline will take you straight to the full story via your web browser.

Many newsreaders are available as standalone programs or extensions of existing programs such as web browsers. Web-based feed readers and news aggregators require no software installation and make the your feed available on any computer with Web access. RSS feeds typically are linked via an orange rectangle with the letters XML  or RSS .

For a sample list of news aggregators, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_news_aggregators

Once you have set up your newsreader, you can subscribe to the Hopkins RSS.  To do this, first copy the URL of our XML page:  http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/rss/HopkinsRSS.xml. Then follow the instructions for your particular newsreader and paste this location wherever it asks for the location of the service to which you wish to subscribe.