Have You Tried Google Reader?

Google ReaderHave you tried Google Reader yet? If not, you’re really missing out on a great tool to keep track of all of the news and information that’s important to you.

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, Google Reader is an RSS reader. RSS stands for Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication. Basically, an RSS feed allows content providers to syndicate their content through a standard file format that can be read by any program that has been designed to read that format. Many programs and web sites support RSS. Some that you may have heard of are My Yahoo!, iGoogle, Newsgator, and of course, Google Reader.

I have used most of the major RSS feed readers out there, but I’ve never found one that met all of my expectations. I used Newsgator for a while, and I liked it, but it never really made its way into my every day routine. Recently, I gave Google Reader a try, and I’ve been using it ever since. It provides a simple 2-click process to add new RSS feeds, and it displays information in two different views: an expanded view and a list view. When reading a post, you can add a star (just like Gmail), share the post through your Shared Items page, email the post with direct access to your Gmail address book, and add a tag to the post. All of this functionality is built into a very clean and simple interface.

If you’re looking for a tool to keep track of all of your favorite news sites and blogs, I highly recommend Google Reader. You’ll find yourself getting through your news and views faster than ever before.

Comments

5 responses to “Have You Tried Google Reader?”

  1. Joe Fusco Avatar

    Yes, yes, I love Google Reader, too, for all the reasons you list.

    However, it’s so good and so convenient, that I find it has become one of those “refresh” obsessions one can occassionally fall prey to. I find that in gaining convenience, I also “read” a lot (a LOT) more blogs and other information than I did before Reader came into my life.

  2. Joe Fusco Avatar

    Yes, yes, I love Google Reader, too, for all the reasons you list.

    However, it’s so good and so convenient, that I find it has become one of those “refresh” obsessions one can occassionally fall prey to. I find that in gaining convenience, I also “read” a lot (a LOT) more blogs and other information than I did before Reader came into my life.

  3. Probstisms Avatar

    Joe, you’re right about that refresh obsession. I get bummed when I have no new articles to read, and I find myself hitting the Refresh button more than I should. Google Reader makes it so easy to get through feeds that I am able to read more sources than ever before without feeling like I have information overload.

  4. Tim Probst Avatar

    Joe, you’re right about that refresh obsession. I get bummed when I have no new articles to read, and I find myself hitting the Refresh button more than I should. Google Reader makes it so easy to get through feeds that I am able to read more sources than ever before without feeling like I have information overload.

  5. Just Give Me The Full Story…

    Like a lot of you out there, I have been using news readers like My Yahoo!, iGoogle, NewsGator, and most recently Google Reader to keep track of all of the news and information that is important to me. Instead of jumping to forty or more sites each da…

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