Sunday, June 30, 2013

A Sad Farewell to Google Reader (+ Feedly Follow Button)

I was a little surprised when I read the Google Reader sign-in screen yesterday.  It asked me if I was having trouble keeping up with the sites I visit.  If so, it told me, I could read them in one place, at Google Reader, where keeping up with my favorite websites is as easy as checking my email.  It offered me the opportunity to use Reader to stay up to date, to share with my friends, and use anywhere.  (You can click on the image to enlarge it and read for yourself.)


But then I signed in and read the following reminder:  "Google Reader will not be available after July 1, 2013...."

Such sorrow.  It took me a few years to begin using Reader and now it's going.  Anyone who knows me or who has read my blog may be aware that I find tech changes difficult.  It takes me too much time to learn how to maneuver through the new, time I could better use for other things (like finding or learning more about my ancestors).  Reader's leaving leaves me no choice.  I suppose some would suggest it's just helping me improve my tech skills.

So I'm following some with Feedly and some with Bloglovin'.  Bloglovin' offers a subscribe button but as far as I can tell, Feedly hasn't created one for us to use.  Not to despair:  some other techy blogger has.  (You can see the button on the sidebar below Google Friend Connect Members (if that still exists after July 1.))  If you'd like to have a Feedly subscribe button of your own, go to this post at Lokakid where you can find the html code and instructions in both English and Dutch.   You can also get Feedly buttons at the Feedly Button Factory.

Good-bye, Google Reader.  I will miss you!

--Nancy.
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4 comments:

  1. All the warnings about the death of Google Reader remind me of the Y2K days when we thought our computers would be obsolete and the world would end. On the next day, nothing happened. So far it feels like that for me. I never read my blogs with Google Reader because the blogs showed up in my feed on Blogger. And that's where they are this morning. So for me, nothing feels different. (But I migrated to Feedly, just to be sure!)

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  2. Nancy, Google Reader was actually working very early this morning, then a few hours later it went dark (maybe the Google kids woke up and remembered). Anyway, I'm very glad I'm following you by email now!

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  3. Nancy, for the Feedly button please see http://www.feedly.com/factory.html

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  4. I was using the reading list on my blogger dashboard, but this morning it says I am not following anyone...so I assume all have disappeared. I also thought that GFC was specifically tied to Google Reader, yet it (GFC) is still active. So just color me CONFUSED!

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