>So lemme get this straight. You want to set up a web page that you
>can check...
>
>... to see if another web page has been updated.

The biggest advantage of RSS feeds is that most aggregators (which is, apparently, the buzzword for 'RSS feed readers') can take n RSS feeds, and display them all on one page. This, hopefully, reduces the number of different places you have to check...at least, assuming the feeds are constructed intelligently (some I've encountered are most distinctly not). I actually use and RSS aggregator for this purpose, snagging headlines from NYTimes, Wired, and a fwe other places, and putting them all on one page for me...sue me, I'm lazy ;)