Nielsen//NetRatings reported that RSS users are significantly more engaged online than non-users, visiting an average of 10.6 news sites compared with 3.4 news sites for non-users.

"Convenience is the primary reason respondents gave for using RSS feeds. Once the technology has been adopted, users can easily add new content. This allows news-hungry web visitors to sample a wide variety of news sources," says Jon Gibs, senior research manager, Nielsen//NetRatings.

Among RSS users who understood the technology, 78 percent were male, and 48 percent were longtime internet users who have been going online since at least 1994.

"Men tend to be early and aggressive technology adopters, but it may come as a surprise that the youngest internet users were not the most RSS savvy. RSS users are particularly focused on breaking news, and trend toward an older demographic," adds Gibs.