Google Reader is going away as of July 1, 2013. According to their website, “There are two simple reasons for this: usage of Google Reader has declined, and as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products. We think that kind of focus will make for a better user experience.”
If that’s what you use to follow all your favorite blogs, news and websites it’s time to find an alternative.
I changed over to Feedly which looks and works much like the old reader. There’s an option to migrate all the sites you currently follow from Google Reader. I like having all my favorite sites in one place. And it’s Free.
Of course there are other options. If you want to keep following Geogypsy, and I hope you do, sign up for email subscription on the sidebar or follow on Facebook, Twitter or G+.
Did you know? How do you follow your favorite sites? Please share in comments for others.
I am in no way endorsing or being paid to recommend Feedly.
That’s a bummer. I’ve been switching over to email now and google +. When a post is posted then I know:)
Guess I’ll have to pay more attention to G+. I don’t want that many emails.
I have used the Feedly app on my iPad for a year or more and will use that in July on my computer. I still prefer Google Reader on my Google home page, but iGoogle home page is also disappearing in November. I tried G+ for a few months but did not like it at all.
I’m OK with Feedly but don’t spend much time on G+. Thanks for sharing this Ruth.
After I dumped LiveMail because of all the issues with it, I went to Thinderbird as my email manager, and it works great. When I heard about the Google Reader going away, I researched how to add feeds to Thunderbird. Once you create folder for them it’s as simple as copying and pasting the atom feed link at the bottom of most blogs into the subscribe form in Thunderbird feeds. It shows them in folders, tells you how many have been read and you can view the entire post AND pictures right there in your email. You can mark them as read or unread just as any email message and delte or keep the ones you want to refer back to. They don’t just disappear after being read as they did in GR. It has all the features of GR and more. And it’s all free and “open source”. I’ve been using it for nearly two years now and am well satisfied with Thunderbird.
Thanks for that insight John. I hadn’t heard of Thunderbird.
Oh, gosh….I don’t know what any of this is, and I thought I was savvy….
You must be getting notified somehow so it’s working for you.
The blogs I have linked to my website usually show updates and I keep track of them there. Some I subscribe to email. I seldom use Reader and just started to use Google+.
When I was on blogspot I kept up with the blogs I follow on my site that way.
Being computer illiterate, I have no idea what to do except to aim for a space when my daughter is neither teaching nor exhibiting overseas, and get her to organise it, he he he. Sometimes it pays to be old and decrepit.
Sometimes it pays to have helpers.
You might also want to check out http://theoldreader.com/.
That looks good too. Thanks John.
The blogs I follow I keep in my blog sidebars and have never used Google Reader before. I imagine it would be stupid for me to start now. *wink*
That works for blogspot users.
I’m testing out igHome.com… 🙂
Have to take a look at that one. Thanks Cheryl.
I use my blog sidebar too. Never use plus. I am a bit tired of Google trying to force me to do things. G+ here is a good example. I don’t think people weren’t using reader, you can see that in your comments. But they want you to use G+. Feels like another Microsoft. Update/change products or else.
as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products. We think that kind of focus will make for a better user experience.
I love how they always try to make it look like they’re taking away stuff you use (as they’re doing with iGoogle in November) and tell you it’s just to enhance your experience. Are you f-ing kidding me? I’m moving over to feedly when I get a minute. I also need a replacement as iGoogle for my home page… Well, at least I’ll finally do that long overdue cleanup in the blogs I follow.
It’s definitely a Google game.
I’ve been sing Feedly too. Not overly in love with it, but couldn’t find anything else that came close. So bummed about the closure of Google Reader. I’ve used it for years.
Nina
Yea feedly is only close.
I went to myYahoo for the home page when I got mad at google. I had been using igoogle as my home page for YEARS!!. I follow mostly everyone on my myYahoo. I also have Bloglovin. (www.bloglovin.com) That is all on the PC (tower) at the computer desk.
I have FeeddlerRSS on my iPad 2, but I’m not sure how to use it properly. I don’t know how to make a homepage for my ipad either. 8*)
and I don’t have a blog… 8*)
Never really cared for Yahoo. But I know what you mean about Google. I’ve heard of Bloglovin and will look into it more.
I’m going to Feedly, in fact I think I’m already there. But I keep forgetting and going to Google Reader. I probably will until July 1.
I was going back to Google Reader at first.
I use Bookmarks in MyYahoo! for all the blogs that I follow, one folder for Daily reads and one for Monthly. I then select what I want to read and when I want to read them from those folders. I also was on iGoogle for some years and move to MyYahoo! within the week they sent out the notice that they were closing it down.
I just switched over to Feedly. Thanks for the info!
Cheryl Ann