Explaining RSS To Your Mom

Not long ago, I was trying to explain RSS feeds to my mother. She’s quite tech savvy for someone who grew up in the pre-Internet age, but my explanation wasn’t very clear, because like most people, I don’t really know how some of the technologies I rely on actually work. Luckily, Newsweek pointed me to a great resource, Common Craft.

I sent Mom a handy video called RSS in Plain English. Common Craft’s low-tech explanations of esoteric technology topics are clear, simple, and brief – each video is only three minutes long. While many of their titles are for the computer-challenged, the company also offers brief introductions to money matters, emergency preparedness, and how the U.S. elects its president.

I checked out the podcasting video and realized that until I watched, I didn’t know what “pod” meant. I was also intrigued that I could view videos in French, which I’m learning, as well as Spanish, German, or Portuguese. Teachers can order videos for use in schools, too.

Common Craft claims, “our product is explanation.” Taking three minutes to listen to someone explain complicated ideas in “plain English” is easy and enlightening. Next time your mom asks what blogging is or how Twitter works, you’ll be able to show her.