Many new bloggers are puzzled about blog feeds and how to subscribe to them. In the new layout templates Blogger has provided a default "Subscribe to Posts Atom" link at the bottom of the Main Page. This is not ideal as a better place would be to place a prominent Feed Icon at the top of your sidebar as in this blog.



To subscribe to the feed of this blog click the big orange icon at the top of the middle column. The feed will get added to your default feed reader. You can do this with every blog you come across which you find interesting but what if you want to read more than 100 blogs. This is where OPML comes into play..............

WHAT IS OPML?

OPML (Outline Processor Markup Language) is an XML format for outlines. It is a file containing a list of site or blog feeds that you have subscribed to in your feed reader.


You can open the file with Notepad and see that it is written in XML but the file is saved not with a txt extension but with an OPML extension . You can create this file manually using XML knowledge but more easily using your Feed Reader settings.....

BACKUP FEED LIST WITH OPML

You can backup your full list of blog feed subscriptions from within your Feed Reader. This is important if you wish to share your feed list and also if you upload the file to any free host like Googlepages you can access it from anywhere.
In Google Reader go to Settings and click on "Import/Export" link at the top. Then click "Export your subscriptions as an OPML file" link.


You can also import other feed lists. On the same page click Browse button and select the OPML file on your PC and then click Upload button. All feeds in the file are imported in one go.


In My Yahho login first and then get your subscriptions as a OPML file here. Right click the link and choose 'Save link as'.

SHARE OPML FILES

You can share your OPML files with others by uplading them at online OPML sharing sites like share.opml.org You can search for OPML files in your speciality at www.opmlsearch.com Here is CNET News Blog OPML file :

http://www.news.com/html/ne/blogs/CNETNewsBlog100.opml

Right Click the link and choose Save link as to save it to your PC. Then upload it to your reader. You will get the feeds from 100 blogs all neatly categorized in one go in your reader. You can unsubscribe from the ones you do not wish to read.


Enjoy!