Tag: Google Reader

Old Reader Follows Google Reader

UPDATE: Old Reader have announced that they will stay open to the public now they have new resources and a larger team – see here for details.

Old Reader set out to be a Google Reader replacement but now they have followed it into history. Old Reader was my prefered replacement for Google Reader. In fact I found it better than Google Reader because it was more like Google Reader used to be, hence the name. Obviously many others thought like me and we overloaded it to the extent it couldn’t cope. Today they announced it is going to shut, at least for most users. Read the full announcement here.

I did use Liferea locally for a while but found I liked Old Reader more but looks like I might go back to a local solution.

 

RIP Google Reader

When Google announced the end of Reader I was surprised. It has been my feed reader for as long as I care to remember. But the end of Reader meant finding a replacement. There have been many suggestions on various sites and I started looking around. The replacements can be divided into a couple of groups.

First group is online Reader replacements, the second group is a local application. Which to choose? I prefer online reader as I can then use them on a number of machines. While a local option means I’m not at the mercy of some site that may disappear, possibly without the warning given by Google, the convenience provided by being able to access it from a number of devices outweighs the risk.

I looked at a few options including WordPress’s own Reader. I guess I was comparing them to Google Reader as that is what I’m used to. I found Wp’s site chaotic it didn’t always show all feeds and there was little organisation. It was gone after one session.

Next I looked at Feedly. It came well recommended. In fact it was the winner of a poll on Lifehacker. It imported my feeds quickly. However I found the interface poor. I gave it a couple of sessions but wasn’t happy.

Another recommendation was the Old Reader. As the name suggests it is a clone of Google Reader as Reader used to be. It is still in beta and currently overwhelmed with the interest Google’s decision has sent its way. It took several days to import my feeds, fortunately I haven’t made any changes since I started the import. When I received the email that the import had finished I went to the site and immediately felt at home. Even though it is in beta it works well. The interface is similar enough to Reader to feel comfortable. It is better than the current reader site. I’ve been using ReaderPlus to improve the default interface on Reader but Old Reader doesn’t need that.

So if you are looking for a Google Reader alternative check out the Old Reader. You will need to be patient while it catches up with the number of imports it is doing but it is worht the wait.