ZimmComm – New Media, LLC

If you’re managing any kind of an RSS feed then I hope you know about Feed Validator.

I’ve been using this little web application since I started blogging and podcasting and it has been the biggest help of almost anything I use. All you have to to is enter the url for the feed you want to check and click on the word “Validate.” That’s it.

Either your feed is valid or it’s not. If not then it will tell you exactly where you have a problem and suggest how to fix it. I love simple things that just plain work.

For all of you who are scared to try creating or managing a feed like a podcast there may be a good software alternative available. I’m currently doing a trial with Feeder by Reinvented Software and it looks promising.

I’ve imported the existing feed file for my weekly ZimmCast podcast which you can find published each Monday on AgWired. I used the built-in forms in the software to add and change some elements of the feed, saved it and uploaded it to my server. I haven’t tried the automatic ftp feature yet but intend to.

With this first effort it showed how easy it is to create and manage your feed. The software will even upload your media file via ftp for you. It looks like a worthwhile program to try.