FAQs
How do I subscribe to this site or to a specific category?
If you would like to receive an RSS feed for the TP Wire Service front page, click on the link labeled RSS/XML just below "Subscribe to the front page" in the right column on the front page. Copy the URL from your browser's URL field and use it to subscribe with your RSS reader (e.g., Bloglines, Technorati, or Netnewswire).
If you would like to receive an RSS feed for one of the categories (e.g. Blogging, Design, etc.), click on the category name in the right column of the front page. There is a link at the top of the page that you can copy to use to subscribe with your RSS reader. If you're using Firefox as a browser, you can click on the orange live bookmark icon to subscribe to the page you're on.
What is RSS?
What is RSS?
RSS is an easy way for you to keep updated automatically on websites you like. Instead of you having to go to websites to see if they've written a new article or feature, you can use RSS (slang defined as 'Really Simple Syndication' or 'Rich Site Summary') to get them to tell you every time they have something new.
How can I make use of RSS?
In general you need to get hold of a program called a Feed Reader. This displays RSS information feeds from your chosen websites on your computer.
All you then have to do is choose which RSS feeds you want for from different websites.
How do I get a News Reader?
There are a range of different Feed Readers available.
Different Feed Readers work on different operating systems, so you will need to take this into account when you make your choice.
Several Feed Readers are available including:
NetNewsWire Lite - for the Mac
Feed Demon - a free trial for the PC
Bloglines.com - a web-based free newsfeed reader.
Or see the list provided by Google.
How do we feed the TP Wire Service? We use reBlog from the folks at Eyebeam, which is a more complex Feed Reader that needs to be installed on a server.
References: BBC News, Elise.com: "What does Syndicate this Site mean?"
How do I send an article to a friend? Or, what's that little envelope?
Glad to hear that you found an article interesting (after all, that's the point). To send an article via email, simply click on the little envelope icon that you see at the end of the abstract, and follow the instructions.
How do I change the size of the text?
We're aware that the appearance of a website varies, depending on browsers, etc. So we wanted to make it simple for you to adjust the font size to your personal preference. On the home page of the TP Wire Service, you'll find the font change options (squares with red letter T's inside) just below the banner in the right-hand column. Go ahead and try them all to see which you like best.
How can I comment on a post?
You may have noticed that there is no comment feature here at the TP Wire Service. Reason? We view this site more as a resource than as a forum. We expect to have a vibrant and vocal audience here at TP Wire Service, but we think of it as the Periodicals Room at the Library where you can find lots of interesting news, but there is a hush in the room, while the blog at tompeters.com might be more like a noisy coffee shop. We invite you to keep the discussion going on there.
Why aren't the stories dated with today's date?
The date accompanying each article is the date it was published at its original source. The "Added on" date header gives you the day we added it to the TP Wire Service.
Where do the categories come from?
Almost all the categories were taken directly from Re-imagine!. They're the topics that we think are most interesting to Tom's fans.
Does Tom pick the stories?
Most days Tom’s staff picks the stories. Often, Tom points to stories he wants us to include. So the answer is a big "No" followed by a "Well, maybe on some days."
Does Tom endorse the opinions, positions, politics, or products mentioned in TP Wire Service stories?
No, Tom doesn’t endorse the many ideas expressed in these stories, but we choose them based on all the things Tom finds interesting. Take a peek at Tom's book, Re-imagine!, and you’ll know what we mean.
What is TP Wire Service?
TP Wire Service is an aggregated set of RSS feeds; links to stories across the web which we think our readers will find interesting. We read so many good stories every day, many more than would fit on our blog at tompeters.com. So, we started thinking of a way to capture them, and TP Wire Service was the result.