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It was successful enough that a much smaller business than Google would have tried to keep it going, probably as a subscription service. But for Google it was a
by skybrian 4y ago
It was successful enough that a much smaller business than Google would have tried to keep it going, probably as a subscription service. But for Google it was a rounding error, and the code base needed a rewrite.
It seems hard to argue that it would have become more successful, given that its successors are pretty good but they’re small businesses.
- ghaff 4y agoRight. And the problem with rounding error businesses at large companies is that: 1. They're a distraction and 2. It's probably very career limiting to work on them. Someone at IBM told me years ago that if something wasn't going to be a billion dollar business they weren't interested. And Google walked away years ago from organizing the world's knowledge if advertising wasn't attached.
- fanso99 4y agoThere is an argument to be made that these… micro services were a part of a bigger offering from Google. Maybe by itself Reader wasn’t a billion dollar business, but together with other niche features Reader attracted an influential and wealthy audience.