Inspired by this I’ve decided to finally get around to organising my RSS feeds! If your not using RSS then you really should, and if its not on your site, then your missing out on a massive market – hardly anyone has time to visit your site most of the time RSS lets them read your posts and click through to comment (if their so inclined) all from one page and without having to remember urls!. Heres the really simple guide to syndication. (RSS savvy – see what I did there!?)
I started off by exporting my RSS feed as am XML file by going to my account > import/export and clicking export as OPML file. The xml file was saved to my desktop.
I’m not going to stop using Google reader because its very useful being able to access your feeds anywhere in the world (and house), the only reason I’m exporting is that Googles organisation is a bit lacking, so I’m going to import it into a local RSS reader then import it back into Google reader nice and neat and organised! My local RSS reader of choice is Vienna. I’m very very anal about organising things, I organise like mad! (I’m also a clean freak. mmm disinfectant.) At least if I worked at Naples Plastic Surgery you’d come out looking perfect, and be very clean!
Once I’m organised I export the xml file from vienna and then import it back into Google Reader! Tada, nice neat and organised!
How many of you can use illustrator!? I’m sure I’m missing something here but the pen tool seems a bit…inept?! In Photoshop you make a line then you can transform that whole line, but on illustrator you can’t do that! I can only add anchors and make waves – I get my curve but then I cant get rid of the other half of the line! Ignore my gibberings, This is genius, Just click once then click and hold and move the mouse around to get your curve! As a result of my lack of pen tool ability (and my futile search for tutorials relating to it) it took me quite sometime to actually come up with something pretty in illustrator! (about an hour to be precise)
I’m aware it looks shockingly like an orange but I don’t care! Its my second accomplishment in illustrator and I plan to start using it more. I might try out a demo of fireworks too (shh Rhys!!) just to see what it can do.
I followed this tutorial but the screen mode didn’t work so its just a white circle instead of a gradient with the opacity reduced, and don’t even get me started on those bastard leaves!! Wheres the mask tool when you need it!?
And how the hell do you make your own gradient?! grr. Least I can use the blend tool! *result*
[tag]rss[/tag] [tag]feeds[/tag]
I just love Illustrator! :D
Have to try on that apricot..
I’ve used illustrator a couple of times in my graphic design class before. I was always pretty bad at using the pen tool. My graphics always came out bumpy.
Maybe I should try illustrator? hehe. Sexy apricot.
And I saw this on the news today. http://www.comcast.net/news/international/europe/index.jsp?cat=EUROPE&fn=/2007/04/28/649197.html&cvqh=itn_earthquake I
I hope everyones okay.
I just started RSS feeds on my site and I love it!
I know Illustrator pretty well. The Pen Tool is great once you get the hang of it!
I can show you how to make gradients, and other stuff, if you want to email me or something. I’d love to make you a logo for the site! 
When does the competition end?
Kristen
I’ve never organized my rss feeds, feed burner keeps them pretty clean from what I’ve seen when I check up on it but you are right, people with blogs who don’t offer the feeds are really missing out on some great returning visitors.
My reader is a firefox plugin called Sage which makes everything nice, clean and pretty just the way I like it. I use it along with firefox’s live bookmarks. I’m a simple person so the simpler the better for me!
As for adobe illustrator, I find it extremely easy to use and I love it. The only issue I have with it (and photoshop as well) is that I can’t use the pen tool so when I try to draw things with straight lines it’s never quite perfect. You can view my little experiments on the vectors page on comotized in the goodies section.
Not too bad for a beginner but I really need to practice, but what else is new eh? hehe
Rhys – oh so theres not a layer mask but clipping masks – I dont like them…I don’t know why!! Yeh I’ve been fiddling with the pathfinder!
I hope your entering my competition!!
Nan – I have no patience either, but it gets addictive! I’m not a huge fan of some vector styles but others are amazing! oo I used to use sage it actually put me off RSS before I found bloglines!
Kate – It took me ages before I could do anyrhing on photoshop! I was a PSP person before myself – now I find it harder to use than photoshop!
Wow, nice orange! He he.
You are lucky, I have had Photoshop on my computer for years and I just can’t get my head round it! I’m too used to Paint Shop Pro I guess.
I am unable to create something nice in PhotoShop or illustrator. I wish I could save up some patience but I guess there something else I rather spend it on. I like the vector/vexel styles a lot though. Especially when they are not featuring people.
Maybe I should check out the google reader too – I have heard a lot good thing about it but I have grown old using Sage for FireFox.
I seriously can’t use illustrator, lol. I envy you and how you did that pretty orange
I’m not good at PS how much more with illustrator.. lol. take care.
Illustrator is better than any other program like that… especially that piece of crap freehand.
To do your own gradient you just click on the gradient in window>gradient (you can also choose what kind of grad and change colours) then use the gradient thing out of the toolbar to change it’s direction.
clipping mask is when you draw the mask shape on top, select the mask and the object you want clipped, then control click and choose clipping mask. you should also learn how to use the pathfinder.
let me know if you need more help, but I am a shit teacher
From my experience with both, Illustrator seems much more powerful than Fireworks. I like your orangey thing, BTW. Maybe if the leaves were smaller in comparison with the fruit itself it would look more like an apricot.
ooo exciting – I’ve worked out how to use the pen tool! and basic gradient things (but only by dragging a swatch colour onto the gradient window!)
I’m working on a ‘vector’ lol!
I can teach you a thing or two with illustrator. Let me make some screencaps up about making gradients and such. I use google reader, I read this post because I subscribed a few days ago hehe.
:yum: I’m a bit of a photoshop junkie! I generally use deviantart.com for tutorials as their actuallly rather good!
hehe, I have issues with layer styles!
Ah! I made stuff on Photoshop today! For no apparent reason.. go to spoono.com they have awesome tutorials. I used their tutorials to make some buttons today:
http://www.doingword.com/images/buttons/
They’re crap and they’re ugly, but I’ve never made anything that snazzy before. Hehe
I’m useless with RSS. I use it so I know when people’s sites are updated, but then I’ll type their URL in anyway. Hmph.
I’ve learnt illustrator now so I cba to d/l the firewoks trial!
IE7 has good RSS support – I don’t actually know of any local windows RSS readers – I’m always concerned about warez cos I know theres loads of warez infected torrent programs and as some non tech people look for RSS readers they could be affected as well! So unless I try one I cant recommend one!
Anyone have any sugestions?!!
yes.
I told you! Fireworks is a wonderful, wonderful tool FOR LIFE!
Oh, and are you by any chance doing your five links again? ;)
Also, I believe you should provide a windows link to a local RSS Feed Reader.