Channels FAQ
Not sure how Channels & Feeds work? This FAQ will help you get up to speed. Browse the table of contents below to find answers to your questions.
Contents
- What is a channel?
- What is a channel category?
- How do channels work?
- How do I start using channels and feeds?
- How do I find McGill channels and feeds?
- How do I subscribe to a feed?
What is a Channel?
A channel is a collection of items (news, events and/or announcements) that have been grouped together based on their subject matter or intended audience. For example, the Physics channel contains news and events related to McGill's Department of Physics.
What is a Channel category?
A channel category is a collection of channels with similar subject matter or intended audiences. For example, the Athletics channel category contains many individual channels such as Fitness and Recreation, Intramurals, Varsity Sports and more.
How do channels work?
Content from McGill channels is distributed via RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds. In general, RSS is used to deliver content that is frequently changed or updated, such as news, events and announcements. Subscribing to RSS feeds allows you to customize the information you want to receive from the McGill website. Instead of visiting the site, you can have links, headlines and/or short summaries delivered to you via a feed reader (also known as an RSS aggregator).
How do I start using channels and feeds?
First off, you will need a feed reader — a tool that allows you to manage and view your feed subscriptions in a single convenient location.
Feed readers come in a variety of forms. If you use Firefox, Safari or a recent version of Internet Explorer (IE7 and above) as your web browser, or use Outlook or Thunderbird as your e-mail client, you've already got a reader. For more information about RSS feeds, visit Wikipedia.
How do I find McGill channels and feeds?
An index of channels and their corresponding feeds can be found on the McGill Channels & Feeds page. Channels are listed in a searchable A to Z directory. When you click on a channel in the directory, you'll see a list of feeds associated with it, including the number of posts there in the past month and RSS links that take you to individual feed pages.
How do I subscribe to a feed?
Navigate to the RSS feed page that you would like to subscribe to and copy the URL (web address) of this page to your clipboard. Open your feed reader software. Choose the "Add subscription" or "Subscribe to a feed" option. Paste the copied URL into the field provided. Click "Add" or "Finish." The feed should now appear in your subscriptions list.
