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I'm too young to have used Google Reader, but I have a selection of ATOM/RSS feeds I follow. Is that not comparable?

by zaik 5y ago

bckr 5y ago
it is comparable, but if I recall, not only was Google Reader's interface slick and had nice features for filtering / automating your feed, but there were pleasant social and discovery features, as well as, I think, the ability to subscribe to websites that didn't even offer RSS feeds. The web felt different when Reader was killed.
- pornel 5y ago
  It wasn't just the Reader itself (there were arguably many better RSS readers), but the fact that it was a mainstream product from a high-profile well-respected company. There being a Google Reader elevated credibility of RSS from a nerdy XML protocol into a fashionable feature you could recommend to "normal" users. Similar thing happened with XMPP and Google Talk. There was a brief moment in time when you could use any instant messenger with any client of your choice (talk to both Facebook Messenger and Google Talk users via your own server). That also been killed off in favor of proprietary apps. I'm trying to think of a current-day equivalent of what a shock and disappointment that was, but I'm afraid proprietary protocols and non-interoperable app silos became such a norm that nobody even expects things to work together. I expect GMail to drop IMAP support any day now.
  - bckr 5y ago
    Great point that I was having a hard time articulating. This is a massive part of why "web felt different" after its death.
Eddy_Viscosity2 5y ago
Reader also had a really good discover quality where I could see stories that were not in my subscribed feeds and because it had a such a large user base, the algorithms got pretty good at showing me stuff I wanted to see. I visit HN for a similar reason, so be exposed to stuff outside of my normal sources. Google reader did this too but with broader scope. edit: I'll note that if google reader were still around today, its likely the discover algorithm would have been corrupted by bots and trolls and growth seeking managers at google. But back then this hadn't happened yet so it all worked pretty good.
- NylaTheWolf 5y ago
  Inoreader and Newsblur have features like that. I can't really compare between those and Google Reader since I was nine when it shut down and I didn't use it, but there are readers that have similar features.
NylaTheWolf 5y ago
Hey, I'm in the same boat! Usually when I hear people talk about RSS it's always people who used it before Google Reader's shutdown, but I was too young to have been interested in that (I was almost nine when Reader shut down). I started using RSS out of curiosity a few months ago and I really like it!

I'm too young to have used Google Reader, but I have a selection of ATOM/RSS feeds I follow. Is that not comparable?

by zaik 5y ago

I'm too young to have used Google Reader, but I have a selection of ATOM/RSS feeds I follow. Is that not comparable?

bckr 5y ago

it is comparable, but if I recall, not only was Google Reader's interface slick and had nice features for filtering / automating your feed, but there were pleasant social and discovery features, as well as, I think, the ability to subscribe to websites that didn't even offer RSS feeds. The web felt different when Reader was killed.

pornel 5y ago
It wasn't just the Reader itself (there were arguably many better RSS readers), but the fact that it was a mainstream product from a high-profile well-respected company. There being a Google Reader elevated credibility of RSS from a nerdy XML protocol into a fashionable feature you could recommend to "normal" users. Similar thing happened with XMPP and Google Talk. There was a brief moment in time when you could use any instant messenger with any client of your choice (talk to both Facebook Messenger and Google Talk users via your own server). That also been killed off in favor of proprietary apps. I'm trying to think of a current-day equivalent of what a shock and disappointment that was, but I'm afraid proprietary protocols and non-interoperable app silos became such a norm that nobody even expects things to work together. I expect GMail to drop IMAP support any day now.
- bckr 5y ago
  Great point that I was having a hard time articulating. This is a massive part of why "web felt different" after its death.

Eddy_Viscosity2 5y ago

Reader also had a really good discover quality where I could see stories that were not in my subscribed feeds and because it had a such a large user base, the algorithms got pretty good at showing me stuff I wanted to see. I visit HN for a similar reason, so be exposed to stuff outside of my normal sources. Google reader did this too but with broader scope. edit: I'll note that if google reader were still around today, its likely the discover algorithm would have been corrupted by bots and trolls and growth seeking managers at google. But back then this hadn't happened yet so it all worked pretty good.

NylaTheWolf 5y ago
Inoreader and Newsblur have features like that. I can't really compare between those and Google Reader since I was nine when it shut down and I didn't use it, but there are readers that have similar features.

NylaTheWolf 5y ago

Hey, I'm in the same boat! Usually when I hear people talk about RSS it's always people who used it before Google Reader's shutdown, but I was too young to have been interested in that (I was almost nine when Reader shut down). I started using RSS out of curiosity a few months ago and I really like it!