Aggregators are tools that allow you to access the RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds from different sites. You can tell that a site has a feed if you see this icon on the page. Aggregators allow you to mix the feeds from many sites into a single place. In other words, no need to surf when an aggregator can deliver the content to your desktop.
Some of my favourite aggregators include:
- Drupal has its own built in aggregator. I’m including it because of the overall utility of Drupal as a content management tool
- Netvibes is a truly fabulous aggregation site allowing for all kinds of mixing and matching of information
- NewsLife is an OSX 10.4 only aggregator that tries to simplify the interface and make reading feeds more intuitive.
- Bloglines is a great aggregator/organizer of feeds.
- Feeddemon is a desktop application that costs a little money (about $30), but is one of the most powerful and sophisticated readers out there.
If you spend much time reading news sites, blogs, and wikis and want to save some time, a reader is an invaluable tool.
Written by: Creech