Google sucks but I'm over it.

So what did you end up deciding on to replace Google Reader?  I ended up choosing NetVibes.  I was able to mess with it and get it to look and work as close to what I was used to - as possible.  I have been using it for a few weeks now and I am perfectly happy with it.

I have never been good with change, but good thing I took Google at their word and found a replacement because when I clicked on the reader today there was a polite message thanking me for stopping by.  Did I mention how Google sucks?  Anyway, I am surprised I have adjusted so well, I hope everyone else who relies on their reader as much as I do - has been able to find something to their liking as well.

And oh by the way - Google sucks.  Me thinks they have gotten too big for their britches.

Frantically researching readers!

The minute I heard that Google Reader is going away, I started searching for a replacement.  Currently I have my blog feeds going to 3 different readers, as well as still having Google Reader active.  Because you know, losing my blogs would be a tragedy akin to the extinction of oranges.  Or something.

That first day seeing my panic, my son sent me a link to an article about alternatives to GR.  Did I just read about them?  NO!!  I downloaded some of them, transferred my feeds, exported, copied and pasted until my chubby fingers were sore.

Do I know which one I am going to go with yet?  NO!!!!!  I admire people who make quick decisions.

I looked at Feedly - something about it didn't appeal to me.  Could I tell you what?  Nope.  Just .. something.

Currently I am running a Chrome extension called Slick RSS.

It's pretty basic, was very easy to import my feeds, but so far I have not found a way to stop it from always listing the last 15 posts from every blog when I click on one I want to look at.  Whether the posts have already been read or not.  Still .. it's not bad.

Another Chrome extension is Feeder.co.

This was super easy to set up and it's a drop down list, maybe for someone who reads blogs as a bit of an after-thought.  It does put a number next to a blog that has a new post, it's alright in a minimalist kind of way.

The 3rd reader I am using has been the most difficult.  So of course I like it the best.  It's called The Old Reader.  Sounds like a pair of comfy old shoes.

I tried to import my subscriptions and the site told me there were 33,000 other users ahead of me.  The next day it went down to 4600.  Later that evening it went up to 77,000 and the site started telling people to stop checking the imports, that they would let you know by email when your import was done.  I have not received an email and the sites you see above are ones I added myself.  I don't like the colors either.  But so far it's the one that is most like GR and since I am bad with change - I am willing to try it for a while before I discard it.

You can bet there will be more readers tried and more abandoned before the carnage is done.  Oh the humanity!

And did I mention how mad I am at Google?  I really need to see if there are any Firefox extensions worth trying out.

Let me know if you find something good!

From the bottom of my heart ...

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I have been a ba-a-a-d blogger. I read that every now and then and I know the feeling because I am feeling it right now. It’s not so much that I have readers waiting on the edge of their seats for my next post. It’s more about the blogs I read.

I have tried to cut back on the sheer number of blogs I read, and as I have written about before, I use my Google reader to keep me up to date with all my favorite’s posts. But sometimes, like this week, I get sidetracked and single minded about something and all but ignore a lot of the blogs I usually visit. A lot. Then when I realize how behind I am, some of those blogs have 2 and 3, sometimes more – posts a piece waiting to be read! And I want to read them!

This is where I must confess to out and out skimming and marking as read and moving on. Yes, that’s right, and I am sorry. I am guilty of not fully reading the posts sometimes, and only leaving comments here and there. So rude!

Like yesterday. At some point during the day I realized I had over 70 unread posts sitting there in my reader which normally I would open and read with interest, if there weren’t so dang many! So out came my skim technique, ever aware of how quickly the posts would stack up with several people participating in posting every day for the month of November if I didn’t get it in hand right away.

I have been preoccupied with changing the design of my blog, but also with finding some better suppliers of gorgeous silver for my jewelry. Because of those things I have been a bad reader, and a bad beader. I was supposed to work on some earrings last weekend and I didn’t do it, and I am sorry about that too.

There have been some other things on my mind but I will write about that another day. With all those people blogging every single day it seems inconsiderate to write a very long post when everyone has so much to read!

And now – off to work on some chandelier earrings! Really!

Oh, but first - how about a pretty picture? Nite all!

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I love my reader!

I love Google Reader! I am sure the other readers out there are wonderful too but Google Reader is the one I tried and have been using since the day I read that Brillig over at Twas Brillig "zeroed out her Google Reader." I was like, huh? That sounds interesting, I need to check it out.

That is how I have found out almost everything about blogging, by reading blogs and clicking on whatever they have to click on, on their blogs. I have found slide shows and blog logs and site counters and on and on. But Google Reader is the best thing I have discovered so far.

I'm sure I am last to the party on this one, but oh my gosh this thing is a miracle worker! It saves time for me, I don't have to go through my list of daily blogs and click on each one a few (okay several) times a day to see if there are new posts. I don't have to keep up with my every once in a while blogs - manually. Google Reader has allowed me to add blogs to my reading list and while I know it's not as many as some people, I think 46 blogs are a lot to keep up with!!!

Right now looking up at the top of my screen I see that a new post has been picked up and as soon as I am done with this I will click over and read it. The reader is allowing me to be a functioning addict, not one that is tied to my computer all of the time. I can do some other things knowing that my reader is keeping track of all my reading and I can count on it implicitly. Oh yay. Sigh-h-h. If only everything else in my life were as reliable, I would be a happy lady. Now I need to go see who has posted. Oh who am I kidding - I clicked over to see right away - so now I am just going back to read the post I know is there. And doing it very happily. :)