In light of recent changes to Google Reader, Google’s feed reader application, I’m revisiting a post from last semester’s metadata blog.
The original post, “How I Use- and Why I Love- Google Reader”:
Tonight’s LS 590 class included discussion of two tools that we’ll utilize heavily this semester: Blogs and RSS Aggregators. Blogging will comprise 25% of our course grade, and since we’re using our blogs as a discussion board of sorts, we are required to subscribe to the RSS feeds for our classmate’s blogs” posts and comments. As some people in the class don’t currently use an aggregator, two were suggested: Google Reader and Bloglines. Tonight’s discussions and a classmate’s blog post [link disabled] have encouraged me to check out Bloglines, but in the meantime, here are some ways that I use and enjoy Google Reader.
- News. Rather than visit CNN.com (approximately) 93 times a day or tempt myself with the distraction of a NYT home page, I use GR to get my news. Between the Times’ Most-Emailed Articles to the comprehensive-yet-carefully culled LISNews articles, I can usually keep up with what people are talking about in the LIS field and beyond.
- Blogs. Like me, most of my friends update their blogs erratically, so I can rest assured that I won’t miss a post even if I don’t visit their sites regularly.
- Webcomics. GR helps me keep up with Unshelved (professional development?). I know that, if I have to skip a few days due to *gasp* something more important, xkcd and my other favorites will still me there. It’s also a convenient place to “store” my favorite strips without having to save the image files on my hard drive or photo-sharing service.
- Sharing. Within Reader, I can click one button to share- or Share With Note- on my personal Shared Items page. I also use the Firefox add-on Shareaholic to share web finds like YouTube vids, articles, etc.; with Shareaholic, the item can be from any site, not necessarily one for which I subscribe to its RSS feed. I might need to check out some other add-ons, though; an article from our Course Calendar, How To Use Google Reader Like A Rockstar, says there are 50+ Firefox Extensions for Google Reader.
- Sharing of Sharing. My Shared Items page offers its own RSS feed, and I was easily able to set up my Facebook so that items posted to my GR Shared Items page automatically post to my FB profile. GR also offers a the ability to post your Shared Items on a website or blog via a copy and paste HTML snippet. You can generate the snippet- or click a button to add the widget to your Blogger layout- by going to Your Stuff> Shared Items> Add a clip to your website or blog.
Obviously, I’m already a fan, but with the prospect of 50+ more Firefox add-ons… Google Reader, I just don’t know how to quit you (nor do I want to).
So, what’s new with Google Reader? This post from the Official Google Reader Blog describes four changes that give users more options for sharing and finding content shared by others: Following, liking, and people searching.
I am especially interested in the ability to share with custom groups. For example, rather than publishing an LISNews article on acquisitions to non-LIS subscribers, I can limit sharing to my SLIS colleagues. Along the same lines, I can share that Cyanide and Happiness webcomic with friends without fear of offending my coworkers.
For the same reasons, I’m looking forward to the upcoming changes to Facebook’s Publisher that will also allow for greater customization of sharing. As my online communities and face-to-face communities become increasingly intertwined, I welcome to opportunity to choose not only what I want to share but also with whom I want to share it.
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