Synidcation standards

[joe@bignightin.com]

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to the world of content syndication and XML.  I'm 
starting to look at strategies to syndicate my content to third-
parties, ranging from small mom-and-pop sites to, potentially, the 
big portals (Yahoo!, Lycos et al), and the question I'm facing is 
this: what standards should I adopt to keep as many doors open as 
possible.

* What do the big players like Yahoo! prefer?  Or is it a completely 
ad hoc process with them?
* What can I do as a syndicator, to make my content as accessible as 
possible to subscribers with little or no technical skills.

BTW, we're a ColdFusion house if that makes any difference.

Any thoughts on this, or links to useful resources would be 
appreciated.

Joe