Google reader is a free platform where you can store or import all your favorite blogs and websites that are served through web feeds. We count of this reader to serve up our favorite blogs as soon as they post something new. We rely on this to be there with our most read websites on crafting, cooking, news and information. It's our sacred "list" of favorites.
Your favorites list will DISAPPEAR if you don't do something before July 1st.
Here is a quote from Google about that. You can read the whole article HERE.
"We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months."
I can get to my google reader my clicking the link from my blogger dashboard...circled in red below. I am assuming the regular reading list that is on my blogger dashboard on the left side will still remain, but not 100% sure on that.
Google is saying you can use their "Takeout" service and download your reading lists and favorites to a new server. You can click HERE to read about that.
The one server I have heard a lot about lately is Feedly. You can click HERE to go to their site. They also have help with the Google Takeout transfer of your information.
2 big issues with Google Reader disappearing...
- you can lose your list of favorite blogs to read and
- bloggers (like me) can lose you as a reader, because you won't be able to find me.
You can always save your favorite sites to your "bookmarks" or "favorites" on your computer, but that just stores the info...it doesn't give you the newest updated post each time like a feed does. You would have to click on your bookmarks each time, every day to see if they posted something new.
The easiest and quickest solution to this problem is email. If you have your "ABSOLUTE" favorite blogs that you would hate to lose track of, see if that blog has a subscribe by email featuure.
I have a "Follow by Email" gadget on my side bar. Just click on that and submit your info. Every time I post something new, the post is automatically sent to your email inbox, like a newsletter. You can click on the link in the email and it will bring you to my blog and all it's content.
My email service is provided by Feedburner, another Google service that I hope doesn't disappear too. I was looking into switching to MailChimp, but need to read more about that.
You can add your own "Follow by Email" gadget too, so you don't lose your readers. This is the Feedburner one provided by Blogger. Just go to your dashboard and...
- click layout
- then click add gadget
- a pop up window will appear
- scroll until you see Follow by Email
- click add,save and then place it where you want on your blog.
If you have any info on this topic, please share it in the comment section. If I hear or read anything new on this, I'll be sure to share it with you.
Happy blogging,
~Karen~
I was so devestated when I read the news the other day -- try Feedly. Its pretty awesome replacement for Reader, and imports everything automatically thus avoiding the need for Takeout from what I can tell! :) Good luck.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.feedly.com is the URL -- it works super on my desktop (i use firefox personally) and on my ipad -- forgot to include the link in my last comment!
ReplyDeletefeedly.com claims to have seemless transition from google reader. It is available for PC, Mac, iOS, and android platforms and synchronizes across all of them. Simply sign in with your google account and all is there. I have tried a few others, did not like them...pulse, flipboard. On my third day with feedly and have only gone back to reader once, just to make sure I was getting the same stuff. I am.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteI don't read blogs in 'reader' but do like being able to post on my blog using it. So many different fonts and a lot more to allow me to post text and pics without being all stoic like blogger is. Is there any where else where I will be able to post to my blog and still have ll of the dded extras that blogger doesn't have?
ReplyDeletemany thanks
Miche'le
There's another one called Bloglovin' that I put on my blog. It does have a mobile app so that's a plus for me. You can import your current blogs you follow quite easily. It loses your folders, but this gives you a chance to do some housekeeping. ;)
ReplyDeleteThey have a button all prepared...it's a bit different than Google Reader, but it's growing on me.
http://bloglovin.com
I like Feedly, too, I'm going back and forth. I chose Bloglovin' for now because it already has a "button" should anyone new want to sign up to read my blog. I didn't see anything like that at Feedly. They are similar, so your mileage may vary.
I hadn't been using google reader, but was thinking of trying to get organized about following my favorite blogs on the regular. I downloaded bloglovin, and am using it right now. I think it works on my iPad, but for some reason I'm unable to comment from my iPhone! I had to open this post up in safari I'm order to leave this comment!
ReplyDeleteI was just recently introduced to Bloglovin' and love it. You can see all of your subscribed blogs on one page and it was super easy to convert to. If you're interested, I posted a how to for importing from Google Reader to Bloglovin. I haven't used Feedly but some are switching to that instead...
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Danielle
http://www.sewmuchcrafting.com/2013/03/how-to-import-blogs-you-love-to.html
Thanks for sharing your insights on this. Great post.
ReplyDeleteSewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
I only follow blogs using google friend connect and was wondering if that's the same as google reader?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the heads up. I was already to add a Follow By Email option anyway but I hate change. I like being able to check on my blog and see what blog posts I want to read all in the same place. Thanks to those of you who recommended other options.
ReplyDeleteTraci
I started using Feedly late last week, after the news came out about Google Reader and I quite like it. It does take a little getting used to, but I think it's worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that subscribing by e-mail is a great way to go, many people don't seem to want to do that so Feedly is a really good alternative. As is Bloglovin'. We're lucky we do have options available to us.
Great information thank you. Question - how can I see how many people/who subscribes by email to my blog Blogger? I can't seem to find that info on my dashboard/account info. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou have to go to feedburner.com. If you are already logged in on your blog, right next to your blog title should be the number of subscribers
DeleteI'm very upset that Reader is going. I've been following many many blogs :( I hope that blogspot doesn't get retired :( that would be a huge problem for me cause i like to write a lot, as you do :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the useful tip Karen!
Lots of love!
I use a free app called greader which works very well and all my feeds come through to that and are all in one place, I use this on my mobile which is an android system. I also use Blog Lovin too.
ReplyDeleteI've opted for bloglovin for now. I'm really going to miss the "next" button on my toolbar which was available from google reader. I liked the way you just clicked on that to go to the next blog post on your list. Having to click through bloglovin for each post feels cumbersome compared to that but I suppose I'll get used to it.
ReplyDeleteI too will miss my Next button more than ANYTHING else :(
DeleteI'm using FeedDemon. The layout similar to Google Reader, and it has a button for 'Next Unread'. www.feeddemon.com
DeleteHi Karen,
ReplyDeleteI'll never stop following your Blog!
I have chosen to use Bloglovin, and I think it is the best alternative to
the follower gadget, please take a look at it and please follow me there too.
Karen I just signed up for bloglovin' and I actually like it a lot! It automatically transferred all my blogs to bloglovin's feed, it is easy and it is actually easier to read than Google Reader. I like it so far!
ReplyDeleteSusan
I'm running both feedly and Bloglovin to decide which I like better. Both transitioned with "one click." Each has things I like and dislike. My main concern is whether Google will continue to support Blogger. If not, hopefully Google will provide a more advanced notice - setting up a new blog would be "painful!"
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips! I am still upset about google reader going away!
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen; you are always on top of my technical issue du jour! First I started looking at blogs by creating bookmarks on my PC and iPad, easy to do but no way of knowing when there was a new post. Then, blog by blog, I have created a list that I follow on Blogger. The resulting Reading List has worked fine for me and I never got dependent on Google Reader. Will the Reading List disappear as part of Google Reader going away? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm using FeedDemon http://www.feeddemon.com/ right now, and I like it, but I think I'll try out some of the others.
ReplyDeleteThis week i tried bloglines,bloglovin and feedly,but someone suggested sharefire and im preferring that layout right now.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm using Feedly, both on my desktop and iPad. Love the look, instant transition of the blogs I follow. Easy to use. Hoping Feedly creates an option to be in the list of readers to select from when someone follows by GFC. I don't think GFC is going away...just GR. Does anyone know for sure? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSo according to this I will only lose the blogs I follow with the reader (which are 2 that don't allow following on google friends. So I can still see all the blogs I follow throughout the day then live in google but not in that reader hooked to it... SSSSO HAPPY I am not losing my way to read blogs :) I downloaded a reader to my phone but hate it! I can't see all the latest and choose. Thanks for explaining with pics! Kathi
ReplyDeleteI never got the hang of using readers, so when I started following quilting and other blogs, I set up a separate @gmail account and sign up for any that can be followed by email. My @gmail inbox contains only emails about blog updates, it's clear what is new and unread, and my regular email inbox doesn't get bogged down with lots of posts.
ReplyDeleteI started using Bloglovin' a couple of weeks ago. I really like the style of the feed which is very much like the Instagram style of feed - a large photo from the post, the post title and a small teaser blurb of the post.
ReplyDeleteThe link to import all your google reader blogs over is on their facebook page, however I did get a post from them last night to say that so many people were trying to swap over their servers had crashed!! Ooops!
I have all the blogs I follow in my Blogger Dashboard it is so easy to set up and follow. Guess I will need to try one of the Above to see if I like that better.
ReplyDeleteI use Blogger Dashboard too and was wondering if it will still be there when Google Reader goes. I agree about how easy it is to read in Blogger Dashboard.
DeleteI follow blogs by my dashboard, I've never clicked on that Google reader button, and, when I add a blog, I don't click on that option, either. I sure hope the dashboard option doesn't go away, too. People can follow my blog by email, but, I don't like to follow that way, unless it is the only option. I already get 50-100 emails a day as it it. Not knowing if I need to change or not is a pain (as is changing). If something works, why can't they just leave it alone? I just don't get techy stuff. I know I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I heard the news I set up my favorite blogs (yours included -of course - you're one of the best on my list) via email. I think I'm going to like this option even better. All I'll have to do is set a filter so all my former blogs will default to my blogroll label. In this way they won't get mixed in with regular emails. One disappointing thing, however, is some of my favorite blogs do not have the "subscribe to email" link. I guess I'll have to send them an email with a request to insert on their blog.
ReplyDeleteI switched to Bloglovin' as well. Reading and commenting in it as I type. :) The one click transfer of all my blog subscriptions definitely sold me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post and thanks to everyone that is commenting about the choices they have already made. I can see I will have to spend time figuring out which I like best. I read my list from Dashboard which is best for me, but I'm thinking I better get a back-up going because Blogger is notorious for messing up when they make changes. Mainly, I want to be sure my blog is set up to keep followers and that I get any Google connect links switched so I don't lose them.
ReplyDeletethanks again
Thanks for this post and options. I follow so many blogs and I definitely prefer a reader. I'll check into a few and see what my best option is. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteFarmhouse hugs,
Cindy
I've never used Reader because I forget to check it. I've been receiving your blog by email from the start which works great because I'm reminded to read it. If I don't/can't read it then, I save it to my Read Later email file I created where I created other files nested below with the name of each blog I follow. This has always worked great for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks!! I just switched to feedly and it was really easy! Now I don't have to worry about all my favorites disappearing.
ReplyDeleteI switched to Feedly and love it! I think it's just preference as to which one is the best one to go to.
ReplyDeleteWhat in the world is "feedly?" Never heard of it? Is it easy to install, etc.?
DeleteYes, feedly.com is super simple to get your RSS reader back up and going. If you already used Google Reader, everything just imports for you. Super simple. I use it on my firefox browser and on my android phone. But I think other browser work for it and other phones too.
DeleteI found that out the other day about Google Reader and was extremely disappointed because I had just started using it. I started using it because several blogs kept disappearing from my Blogger dashboard. Well, several days later and I am in love with Feedly!! Feedly imported all the blogs - including the ones which the dashboard kept losing. The site has a very clean look and makes it so easy to keep up with everything.
ReplyDeleteI'm using FeedDemon. It looks much like Google Reader, AND it has a 'Next Unread" button.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.feeddemon.com/ I've looked at a few others, but this one is so familiar (plus things GR didn't have), that I'm liking this best.
Oh gosh... I'm going to be that student in the back of the room, daring to raise her hand to ask a stupid question, but I still don't quite understand Google reader. I NEVER USED IT! I tried it just now, and it appears to just be a bigger more complete version of what I was already seeing on my dashboard before I clicked over from the spot you circled... So I'm confused. Will the keep the list/feed, that's in the on the dashboard before I click to google reader, or are they doing away with that too?... and then I'll just have a list of who I subscribe to? Will we still have our gadget on the right side bar, that shows our followers?....
ReplyDeleteI DO, in fact, already have a follow me by email button, so I HOPE people will use it! I've since heard of bloglovin. Very confusing to me at the moment; but yes, I suppose we have to go with the flow. Nice to meet you today, and I do thank you for this post explaining things a bit more than I was aware of in the first place. ~tina
The only problem I have with Bloglovin' is that if I read your post via Bloglovin' and I try to get the url of say your link party post, it will not give me your true url but one with bloglovin appended.
ReplyDeleteI have remained in the dark ages. I have kept Internet Explorer 9 on my computer ONLY to use the RSS Feeds button. It's not a reader. I have google reader but never bothered with it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my RSS Feeds list. I have firefox AND Chrome on my computer (they don't allow a feeds list) and I use them for several things, like getting lost in Pinterest (which doesn't do well in Internet Explorer). What I've been worried about is how to backup my RSS Feeds list. The list is wonderful for me. It shows all the blogs I follow and puts the blog name in BOLD type if they have updated with a new post since I last read them. I can read them in a feeds view OR click the blog header to go into the blog itself. IE9 RSS Feeds is definitely old school. I never got attached to Google Reader. I also follow a lot of blogs that are done in Typepad as opposed to Blogger and I could never get them to show up in Google Reader. Does anyone know how to backup an RSS Feeds list? OR...can you import your FEEDS LIST to Feedly or Bloglovin (which would serve as a kind of a backup)? If you don't know where feeds is. In IE9, Click the favorites button, it has 3 tabs (favorites, feeds and history). To add a website or blog to your FEEDS list, click the little orange square button in the upper right hand corner of IE9 and click "RSS Feeds New", then click "subscribe to this feed" Then, each blog you subscribe to will show up in list form and they BOLD their blog name when new.
ReplyDeleteKaren - a lot of the comments about Google Reader disappearing refer to the fact that one day maybe blogger might also disappear. That would be devastating for those of use whose blogs are associated with blogger. You had done a post a while back about how to backup your blog posts. Can you discuss that again? I would hate to lose all of my old blog posts if reader disappeared. THANKS!
ReplyDeleteHello. When I saw this write up a few days ago, I saw a couple of other sewing bloggers post the same thing. Some suggested networkedblogs as an alternative, so I just added it to my blog yesterday. Problem is getting the few followers that I have to convert over before google reader goes away. Some mention bloglovin, couple mention Feedly? Never heard of that. Its so confusing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting. :-)
I just spent an hour looking at all the sites mentioned in the comments above and so far, I haven't read anything regarding Windows Phone users. And apparantly most of the world no longer uses Internet Explorer. I have never had a problem with IE, as everyone else seems to. On one of the sites, there wasn't even a link for IE users. I also noticed in the disscussions on the feedly and bloglovin' pages that the sites are not simple websites that you can log onto, like blogger. I think everything is still very new to all those involved with google reader and the closing news, so I think the best thing to do is simply give it another month or so and see what develops....
ReplyDeleteAll those really smart coders will come up with something. Who knows, maybe Microsoft will make their own for the rest of us half-WP/ half-google users...
Okay I'm overwhelmed. I've never used the reader. mmmm I used my dashboard to read the blogs. I'm always behind so I can scroll back and start where I left off.
ReplyDeleteSo Blogger isn't going away at least yet but the reader part is? Right
I'm gonna have to go check out the reader part to see what I missed.
I have found a way to get your blogs put into a book finally. I guess I'll also go check out bloglovin and feedly.
I'm confused enough that even this comment sounds confusing doesn't it? (Shaking my head)
After reading this post, I made sure that readers can follow my blog via email. Then a few days later, I heard about Bloglovin, and saw a number of people using that as an alternate to Google Reader, so I signed up. Since then, it seems that my blog has disappeared from the Readers. I've tried doing some checking to see what's wrong, but can't see anything. I've closed my Bloglovin account, and removed the 'button' from my side bar, but Bloglovin says this will not remove my blog from their lists. Okay, then. In my checking around, there was something said about RSS feeds and something in my blog that may cause it to be blocked from some Readers, but I can't for the life of me figure out what that means and/or how to fix it? Do you have ANY ideas in this regard? I'm stumped - and really miss the folks who were regularly visiting and commenting on my blog. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
ReplyDeleteWell, my blog list has dissapeared and I did a google on it and got your your post. Not very nice. It's not July yet...Laura
ReplyDeleteWell I have actually moved on after Google reader closed down their reader. In fact, many readers are doing great like Digg and Flippage and I'm starting to love it even more.
ReplyDelete