Yes, just two days ago Google Reader (that well known and beloved RSS feed reader) was removed from the Google stables. Google announced it in March of this year and I have already ranted about the unfairness of it all, the degradation, and the sadness that has overcome us all…so enough of that, let’s get over it and move on.
If you were a Google Reader user you know how simply and easily it provided you with the latest information from the websites you actually liked to read. It was uncomplicated, easy to use and worked very well. Since the announcement was made in March of this year you have been searching for a replacement. And now I will tell how you should proceed.
Well, OK, not really but I do have a couple of thoughts. First, Google basically mislead us all. The have created a new Reader, “Google Currents,” which is very similar to the original with several exceptions, ok it really is not the same. They call it "Awesome," "Terrific," "Exciting," etc. I call it harder to use, more difficult to add your RSS feeds to, more modern – meaning many more graphics, and heavier on bandwidth and pretty flare. Sorry, it is nowhere near as straightforward or easy to read and navigate as the old version.
You have to pick from Google’s list of feeds which are laid out by topic. You can also search by author’s name, feed title, etc. For instance, before I wrote this column I set up my own Double Clicks Currents site. If you would like to add it to your Currents you first need to install Google Currents. Oh, did I mention that it is only available on Android and Apple devices? Did you notice that last sentence where I left out your PC? Correct, you cannot read your articles on your own computer. What is up with that? With Google Reader you could read some on your smart phone, then on your computer hours/days/months later and go back to your smaller device to read the remainder. Now you only have your smartphones and tablets; that seems like a big step backward to me.
OK, back to adding my "feed" to your device. Once you have Currents installed look to the top and click on "Add Subscription" and scroll through the lists (Double Clicks is not there, yet but maybe it will be by the time you read this) click and add what you wish. To add my site, click the search icon, yes the ever present magnifying glass, and search for either "Ron Doyle" or "Double Clicks." That should lead you to one of my articles. Right now the only ones are under those search terms. Click on one of them and choose Add Subscription. It will then be added to your growing list of interesting reads.
There are many other things you can do with Currents but there is not enough space to explain it to you here. Like I said it is not easy to operate but if you search for something like, "How do I do ???? on Google Currents" you will get more help.
Stay tuned for some more suggestions next week.
