If you missed our first two posts, you can click here for our first post and here for our 2nd post.  In our last post we discussed what BlogTalk is all about and how it allows us to converse.  Today’s post is intended to point out a few tips about how you can actually subscribe to this conversation so you never miss a beat.  

We have already talked about how you can communicate back to us on posts/articles we write through the comments section below each post.  Rookie blog readers may not always comment at first after reading a post, but in time you’ll have something you will want to share or to ask.  Reading or commenting is purely up to you, but by participating it’s a lot more fun.  As you’ll find out, reading the comments can be just as fun as reading the posts - plus you’re able to comment on other’s comments as well!  Just be respectful of others as you would have them be respectful of you.

That orange looking symbol you see on this page is the RSS Feed button.  RSS Feed buttons are magical buttons that allow you to subscribe to blogs in a few simple steps.   RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.  Rather than check in to the website every day to see if a blog has updated material, an RSS Feed will show only the blog posts and note when there are new posts.  In a few steps you’ll be connected to this blog in no time!

One way to get connected to a blog when using Internet Explorer (version 7 or greater) on a PC is to:

1. Click on the RSS Feed button (on our blog it is the button in the right hand margin).  

2. After you click this button you’re taken to a screen that shows the posts of the blog you’re reviewing and there will be an area near the top of the page that shows a star with a “+” sign on it.  

3. Click on the ”+” sign and you’ll be subscribed to the blog’s feed.  To access the feed when you like, click the Favorites star, then click on Feeds and you’ll see the blogs you have RSS feeds for.  If you have used Google Reader or have a Google account then see below.

4. If you want to access your blog feeds from anywhere there is a computer, then you can also use Google Reader.  To use Google’s Reader:

5. Establish a Google account/email account.  Once you’ve done this, you can access the Google Reader by the menus on the Google screen or by Googling the term.  Once you access Google Reader, you’ll want to bookmark it to your favorites for faster access in the future.  

6. Add RSS Feeds to Google Reader by clicking on the RSS Feed Button.  

7. Copy the website’s URL/address at the top of the screen and then go to the Google Reader site.  

8. Within that page, you’ll see a green bar that says “Add Subscription.”  Click on that link and then paste the URL of your blog feed into this area.  You may do this each and every time you wish to subscribe to a blog feed.  What’s nice about using Google Reader is that you can view many blogs in a very convenient fashion no matter where you are in the world and no matter whose computer you’re using.

9. If you’re a Mac user and need assistance, leave a comment on this blog and we can assist our Mac website users.

   Some of these steps may sound laborious at first, but as you practice and repeat, you’ll be a pro in no time!  Or, if it’s simply just too tough to figure out, simply visit www.cchs.org/blog each time you are on the Internet and you’re guaranteed to keep up with the conversations at Blog Talk.