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Main Area and Open Discussion => Living Room => Topic started by: eleman on March 14, 2013, 08:23 AM

Title: Google Reader gone
Post by: eleman on March 14, 2013, 08:23 AM
Google Reader's gone (http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2013/03/powering-down-google-reader.html) the way of dodo.

Google willfully axed functionality (sharing etc.) from Reader to boost google+, a product no one demanded, and now it's axing Reader completely on the grounds of falling usage.

Way to go Google. You really inspire confidence in all your users.

Any desktop RSS aggregator recommendations? I certainly will not invest time and effort in another cloud junk. Experience, after all, is learning a lot of things you shouldn't do again.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 14, 2013, 09:12 AM
RSSOwl.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Daleus on March 14, 2013, 10:21 AM
Yeah, I just started using GReader a month ago and was really loving it.  So, you can blame me for it's sudden demise. ;)

In order to repent, I have been scanning feeds all morning looking for a replacement myself.  I have no links to reviews or recommendations - yer all old enough to do that yerselves - but here is a list of names that have been suggested in feeds that span SlashDot, Reddit, Ars Technica, ReadWriteWeb and a slew of indie blogs:

Readers

RSS Bandit
RSS Owl
FeedDemon
GreatNews
Omea Reader
Awasu
SharpReader
RSS Central
Netvibes
NewsBlur
Feedly/Normandy
Taptu
Pulse
Flipboard
Google Currents
TheOldReader.com
FeedaFever.com
BlogLines.com
Akregator
Liferea
bazqux.com
bloglines
1kpl.us

And the usual disclaimer - I h'ain't backin' nuttin' 'til I sez I iz backin' sumpthin'.

Good hunting to you!
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: f0dder on March 14, 2013, 11:39 AM
There's already discussion about the subject here (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=33306.msg320705#msg320705) - perhaps mouser could splice the posts from there to here, since this is probably a better place to have the conversation? :)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 14, 2013, 12:52 PM
I think I'm going with http://tt-rss.org/redmine/projects/tt-rss/wiki or http://www.feedafever.com/

Both are self hosted.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 14, 2013, 12:55 PM
I have installed TTRSS a while ago, just to see how it goes. While the interface is a bit weird, it totally lacks some sane Android app. The paid one is not available for people without a credit card, the free one does not find my installation correctly. edit: If someone wants to test it, click here (http://rosaelefanten.org/rss/). I will migrate the server to FreeBSD some time next month though, so a short downtime is expected.

Concerning Fever: Looks nice but the dev hates non-Mac users, obviously.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: eleman on March 14, 2013, 12:57 PM
Thanks for the suggestions. After some consideration I decided to go with bamboo (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/bamboo-feed-reader/?src=search), a firefox add-on. I will not use another cloud service if I can help it, and separate desktop applications did not look very handy, as I usually jump to a site after seeing a headline on the RSS feed aggregator. So a firefox add-on seems like the best solution.

Yes, I'm aware of the advantages of cloud solutions. For example if I don't run firefox for a week or two (i.e. vacation in the mountains) I'll miss some feeds. And I won't be able to check feeds from another computer/phone etc. But I'll have to live with the former, and I don't do the latter anyway.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: flamerz on March 14, 2013, 01:27 PM
feeddemon is gone too :(

http://nick.typepad.com/blog/
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on March 14, 2013, 03:54 PM
OMG!  I moved to Google Reader a while ago after BlogLines announced it was going belly up.  Then, after I'd switched, apparently BlogLines revived, but I liked Google Reader better.  Sigh.  The only thing I know is that I do not want any RSS reader or other software that depends on Google's support.  It's bad enough that I have Gmail.  :(   
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 14, 2013, 04:17 PM
Another self hosted one for consideration from ghacks (http://www.ghacks.net/2013/03/14/the-ultimate-google-reader-alternatives-list/) is Selfoss (http://selfoss.aditu.de/), an open source solution with the source on github.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 14, 2013, 04:19 PM
Ugly interface IMO. Also there's no Android app.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 14, 2013, 04:26 PM
I really don't want a dedicated app, truthfully- the smartphone view is good enough.  And I like the interface :)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 14, 2013, 04:27 PM
I don't really like web interfaces. They're slow.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: eleman on March 14, 2013, 04:28 PM
Most android/iphone apps are a web interface disguised with a dedicated shortcut, you know...
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: TaoPhoenix on March 14, 2013, 04:30 PM
Yeah, and more "killing services" instead of spinning them off to any other humble little company that wants them. That's my current beef with "I.P."

Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 14, 2013, 04:30 PM
My currently preferred Android app NewsRob is not. It might have a problem when Google Reader dies though.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: TaoPhoenix on March 14, 2013, 04:31 PM
Most android/iphone apps are a web interface disguised with a dedicated shortcut, you know...
-eleman (March 14, 2013, 04:28 PM)

I've seen some of this in the audiobook market.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: f0dder on March 14, 2013, 05:02 PM
feeddemon is gone too :(

http://nick.typepad.com/blog/
-flamerz (March 14, 2013, 01:27 PM)
Yeah, again - https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=33306.msg320765#msg320765 .
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: mahesh2k on March 14, 2013, 05:31 PM
I remember using Vine feed reader but it is not active anymore. So I switched to G reader and now this is going too.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Rover on March 14, 2013, 05:45 PM
This is not the first time Google has fubar'd stuff.

Sidebar in igoogle, obnoxious new look in gmail, obnoxious skin of Reader,  they irritate me muchly. (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/esmileys/gen3/1Small/smile18.GIF)

OwnCloud (http://owncloud.org) has finally gotten to a useful state, I'm going to install that this weekend.  :)

Then google can suck it.  :P
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 14, 2013, 05:48 PM
ownCloud is a bit too large for just replacing the Google Reader. ownCloud 5 is not ready yet, even the Android app does not support the RSS part very well yet AFAIK.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 14, 2013, 08:18 PM
Yet another choice: Omea (https://www.jetbrains.com/omea/benefits/index.html)
Title: "Google Reader Gone" or "Is RSS being killed"?
Post by: IainB on March 16, 2013, 01:27 AM
I think this thread could be an appropriate place to post this:
Maybe it's not so much a case of "Google Reader Gone" as "Is RSS being killed"?
Will the death of Google Reader also be the death of RSS? (http://quotulatiousness.ca/blog/2013/03/15/will-the-death-of-google-reader-also-be-the-death-of-rss/)

For a long time I have wondered about RSS and its use to Google. I mean, Google had this great information-gathering tool called GR (Google Reader), and you could all sorts of add-ons or scripts to it. The net result was something that:

And it could all be done advertising-free. Perfect.    :Thmbsup:

Google even developed and published a bookmarklet that let you "subscribe" to a page you had landed on, so that it went into the GR subscription list.
Then Google seemed to drop support of that bookmarklet some time back, without any real explanation as to a solid business rationale for doing so.
Then Google seemed to drop support of the RSS-faking, without any real explanation as to a solid business rationale for doing so.

Now Google is killing GR altogether. Why? Ostensibly:
In the Googland blog, in the post [G] Powering Down Google Reader, it says:
There are two simple reasons for this: usage of Google Reader has declined, and as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products.
There is some irony in this, because it is quite possible that, by virtue of their own Cavalier attitude to users needs, Google have encouraged users to reduce the use/reliance on their products/services, thereby negatively affecting user demand. For example, I have for about a year had serious misgivings about Google's direction, and have been limiting my use of Google products/services - holding back, waiting to see what the next product/service will be that Google will decide to unilaterally kill off without a by-your-leave.
So, Google kills off another product (GR), and again without any real explanation as to a solid business rationale for doing so. (It would not be correct to call the above quote a solid business rationale for killing off GR - it is an unsubstantiated statement).

Google's revenues are inextricably intertwined with advertising. The Google founders essentially invented and implemented or progressively acquired (by purchase) novel web-technological approaches to providing aggregated demographic services to advertisers - services that generated a major income stream for Google.
And that's why I had for a long time wondered about RSS and its use to Google.
You see, if you read web pages via a feed aggregator such as GR, then aren't you effectively statistically excluded from the count of the number of people viewing the web pages? This could be having an adverse effect on advertising statistics and pay-per-click revenues.

I rarely log in to either LinkedIn or Facebook - they are both potential time-bandits - and avoid using either, if I can help it. I also filter and send to Trash all emailed Notifications from LinkedIn or Facebook. There are just too many to read. If I get time, I will scan those items in Trash - usually the LinkedIn ones as they have a work-related and thus higher priority in my mind - before deleting them permanently.
I already get RSS feeds from the LinkedIn Blog and Facebook Notifications, but I read recently that Facebook will block ("not support") RSS feeds of Notifications for much longer. Now we probably know why.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: paulobrabo on March 16, 2013, 04:48 AM
That's my take too. Another related article:

It’s Not Just Reader – Google Kills Its RSS Subscription Browser Extension, Too (http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/15/google-kills-rss/)

But now the extension is gone, and the message is clear: Google is getting out of the RSS business. It’s more than Google just shutting down a product that never gained mainstream traction and moving resources elsewhere – it’s about distancing itself from the RSS community as a whole.

It’s interesting that the extension has been removed ahead of the end date for Google Reader, since up until that time, Reader’s core audience will likely still be subscribing to new feeds. And it’s worth noting that the extension also supported other blog-reading services besides Google’s.




Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: paulobrabo on March 16, 2013, 05:16 AM
Two more:

Google, destroyer of ecosystems (http://corte.si/posts/socialmedia/rip-google-reader.html)

The truth is this: Google destroyed the RSS feed reader ecosystem with a subsidized product, stifling its competitors and killing innovation. It then neglected Google Reader itself for years, after it had effectively become the only player. Today it does further damage by buggering up the already beleaguered links between publishers and readers. It would have been better for the Internet if Reader had never been at all.

How the Shutdown of Google Reader Threatens the Internet (http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericgoldman/2013/03/14/how-the-shutdown-of-google-reader-threatens-the-internet/)

As one example, many people now rely on social media as a primary news source.  In many cases–especially with “bi-directional” services like Facebook ($FB) or LinkedIn ($LKND) where people only connect with “friends”–social media only surfaces content from people who are likely to share common viewpoints.  Plus, those posts are culled by mysterious algorithms (such as the algorithm controlling Facebook’s newsfeed) that further reduce exposure to diverse viewpoints.

How long before feedburner goes down the drain? Or even blogger and blogspot?

Blogger may survive a few more years, but at the very least it will stop serving RSS.

Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 16, 2013, 09:45 AM
Blogger's been sort of iffy on its feeds (serving things in batches sometimes, making it less than timely), so I wonder if that was the first step...
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: zridling on March 17, 2013, 10:27 PM
Sorry guys, but I've got to agree with Dave Winer on this one. By Google killing its own RSS, suddenly there's new competition for that software space again, and one less space that Google won't control or censor: "People will be well-served by a newly revitalized market for RSS products, now that the dominant product, the 800-pound gorilla, is withdrawing."
http://www.zdnet.com/rss-inventor-doesnt-see-what-all-the-fuss-is-about-closing-google-reader-7000012687/
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Deozaan on March 18, 2013, 12:53 AM
Huh? How did Google control the news flow? I'm the one who put the feeds I wanted to follow into Google Reader.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 18, 2013, 02:04 AM
Huh? How did Google control the news flow? I'm the one who put the feeds I wanted to follow into Google Reader.
-Deozaan (March 18, 2013, 12:53 AM)

You set up the the feeds, but they controlled what came into them.  They could put a filter on it, and other than by someone else telling you there was something else on the site, you wouldn't know.  Sort of like their search now.  Unless you go somewhere else and search, you don't know that there's something missing.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: mwb1100 on March 18, 2013, 02:15 AM
Huh? How did Google control the news flow? I'm the one who put the feeds I wanted to follow into Google Reader.
-Deozaan (March 18, 2013, 12:53 AM)

Winer's talking about what he believes Google wants to do (and why Google Reader and RSS may not fit into Google's plans), not that they were doing it with Reader.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 18, 2013, 02:15 AM
I found a laughable article on ZDNet, about why are you using RSS in 2013 (http://www.zdnet.com/sad-to-see-google-reader-go-come-on-folks-its-2013-7000012596/).  The replacement?  Twitter.

Please.  Twitter is barely useful unless you're in the always connected always checking universe.  And with people checking in to everywhere they go and posting up so much noise that the signal is strangled, I don't see how anyone could confuse Twitter with news aggregation.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 18, 2013, 02:16 AM
Huh? How did Google control the news flow? I'm the one who put the feeds I wanted to follow into Google Reader.
-Deozaan (March 18, 2013, 12:53 AM)

Winer's talking about what he believes Google wants to do (and why Google Reader and RSS may not fit into Google's plans), not that they were doing it with Reader.
-mwb1100 (March 18, 2013, 02:15 AM)

No, he's talking about what they could possibly do with Reader.

"Never used the damn thing. Didn't trust the idea of a big company like Google's interests being so aligned with mine that I could trust them to get all my news."

This is about Reader.
Title: How Google believes the internet *should not be read*
Post by: paulobrabo on March 18, 2013, 05:04 AM
Obviously we shouldn't trust the official reasons Google offered for killing Reader. The demise of Reader is a massive statement on how Google believes the internet should not be read: [1] as a private, unmediated experience (as opposed to a "social" reading experience, say facebook, twitter or Plus) and [2] with an open standard (RSS) serving as a direct link between reader and content producer.

I use Reader A LOT - more than any other Google product, but I'm kind of grateful for the wake up call. It reminds me that Google won't hesitate before cancelling any other service, even one that feels as "natural" as, say, blogger. Blogging is declining in usage as much as Reader, I guess.

Sorry guys, but I've got to agree with Dave Winer on this one. By Google killing its own RSS, suddenly there's new competition for that software space again, and one less space that Google won't control or censor.
-zridling (March 17, 2013, 10:27 PM)

This guy I mentioned before is even more on the spot, I'd say:

Google, destroyer of ecosystems (http://corte.si/posts/socialmedia/rip-google-reader.html)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 18, 2013, 05:22 AM

This guy I mentioned before is even more on the spot, I'd say:

Google, destroyer of ecosystems (http://corte.si/posts/socialmedia/rip-google-reader.html)

-paulobrabo (March 18, 2013, 05:04 AM)

Thanks for the link... nice article!  And what he describes in Google's MO is startlingly familiar.  Quite similar to what MS used to do.

Hmmm...
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 18, 2013, 05:26 AM
A German "journalist" ("ZEIT" magazine) wrote that this is the end of RSS (http://www.zeit.de/digital/internet/2013-03/rss-google-offenheit) and it means that "news are now only available via Facebook which isn't open".

Oh the humanity.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: mouser on March 18, 2013, 06:16 AM
Google, destroyer of ecosystems.. And what he describes in Google's MO is startlingly familiar.  Quite similar to what MS used to do.

Agreed.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: phitsc on March 20, 2013, 09:18 AM
They said July 1, 2013. But since today there doesn't seem to be a menu entry for Reader in the google menu bar any more >:( (and it already was under More anyway)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 20, 2013, 09:21 AM
Well, the Reader is still there.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: phitsc on March 20, 2013, 09:22 AM
Yes, I know. But they could just have left the menu entry until July 1 as well.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 20, 2013, 09:23 AM
Maybe they need the space for their upcoming new dead project.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: phitsc on March 20, 2013, 09:24 AM
Maybe they need the space for their upcoming new dead project.
-Tuxman (March 20, 2013, 09:23 AM)

 ;D
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 20, 2013, 09:30 AM
Also, if you go to the even more, it's not listed in their products, either.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: paulobrabo on March 20, 2013, 05:08 PM
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8574544625_5b6b8cfc46_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulobrabo/8574544625/)
Goodbye, Google Reader (http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulobrabo/8574544625/) by Paulo Brabo (http://www.flickr.com/people/paulobrabo/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on March 24, 2013, 05:07 PM
Maybe they need the space for their upcoming new dead project.
-Tuxman (March 20, 2013, 09:23 AM)
Har-de-har-har. Very droll.
Musical chairs are fun! - A Rousing Game of Google Musical Chairs (http://mashable.com/2013/03/24/google-musical-chairs/)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on March 24, 2013, 05:08 PM
No joke intended.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: erikts on March 25, 2013, 01:19 AM
Google Reader is going down.
Find the best Reader replacements before it's too late.
Send a tweet with #sitename and #replacereader to vote for your favorite.

http://www.replacereader.com/ (http://www.replacereader.com/)

Top 10
#Feedly
#NewsBlur
#Bloglovin
#TheOldReader
#Bloglines
#TinyTinyRSS
#Pulse
#Flipboard
#Fever
#wavii
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on March 26, 2013, 04:16 AM
Interesting and relevant post here: An Apology To My RSS Readers – But I Had To Do It. (Updated) (http://battellemedia.com/archives/2013/02/an-apology-to-my-rss-readers-but-i-had-to-do-it.php)

It shows that what I suggested (in an earlier post somewhere) is true - i.e., that using Google Reader (or other feed aggregator) meant you could get an idea of a news/post item without going to the web page and without creating any ad-clicks (monetisation). So it is a potential commercial loss - unless you get the user to visit the page - though it is probably great from the user's perspective, of course.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: kyrathaba on March 26, 2013, 07:16 AM
Google, destroyer of ecosystems.. And what he describes in Google's MO is startlingly familiar.  Quite similar to what MS used to do.

+1 !!
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on March 26, 2013, 07:29 AM
Interesting and relevant post here: An Apology To My RSS Readers – But I Had To Do It. (Updated) (http://battellemedia.com/archives/2013/02/an-apology-to-my-rss-readers-but-i-had-to-do-it.php)

It shows that what I suggested (in an earlier post somewhere) is true - i.e., that using Google Reader (or other feed aggregator) meant you could get an idea of a news/post item without going to the web page and without creating any ad-clicks (monetisation). So it is a potential commercial loss - unless you get the user to visit the page - though it is probably great from the user's perspective, of course.
-IainB (March 26, 2013, 04:16 AM)

I find it interesting how so many (who do know better) keep trying to refer to RSS as "creaky" and "outdated" when what they're really trying to do is justify abandoning something quite useful and easy to implement which thousands have found good use for.

I'm glad to see the article brought up the issue of unauthorized content scraping however. That is a serious issue which will eventually put much of what's worth reading on the web out of business if it continues. At least as far as the smaller self-supporting content providers, who try to provide their readers with an experience that goes a basic blog, are concerned. And unfortunately, full text RSS feeds do make it very easy to scrape. There are even horror stories of scrapers filing DMCA takedown notices against the original content creators as a preemptive strike when confronted.

A real problem with no easy solution I'm afraid.

But implying that RSS is "outdated" or "ancient" or somehow in need of abandonment because it "doesn't work" (as some are saying) is more than a little disingenuous. If RSS isn't practical or 'working' any more, it's not for technical reasons. It's for commercial ones.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: tomos on March 26, 2013, 07:36 AM
Digg have plans:

[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

http://www.digg.com/reader
http://blog.digg.com/post/45355701332/were-building-a-reader
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: eleman on March 26, 2013, 07:42 AM
Digg have plans:
-tomos (March 26, 2013, 07:36 AM)

Down with the cloud, and down with any cloud-based plans. I have 40 years to live [at the outside], and I believe I can make do with my desktop based paradigm for that period. Dad was able to find a typewriter repairman 3 years ago, I am sure I can find spare parts for my computer in 2050.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 26, 2013, 07:47 AM
Digg have plans:

http://www.digg.com/reader
http://blog.digg.com/post/45355701332/were-building-a-reader

-tomos (March 26, 2013, 07:36 AM)

I'd trust Digg any more than Google?  Especially after what happened to Digg?

Down with the cloud, and down with any cloud-based plans. I have 40 years to live [at the outside], and I believe I can make do with my desktop based paradigm for that period. Dad was able to find a typewriter repairman 3 years ago, I am sure I can find spare parts for my computer in 2050.
-eleman (March 26, 2013, 07:42 AM)

Personally, I think there should be options.  That includes cloud-based.  Let the people decide what they want, rather than anyone deciding what our options are/should be.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on March 26, 2013, 07:03 PM
The closure of Google Reader has been a painful lesson for many people. Although I have been increasingly worried about my reliance on The Cloud, I tried to be careful about the cloud services I chose.

I was sure that Google would never shut Reader, because although it's a niche service, it's a service used mainly by the early adopters/opinion formers/call them whatever you like -- the people in each household who know about computers, the people who give advice to other household members on what services to use. Google couldn't possibly be stupid enough to shut Reader and face the wrath of the early adopters.

I was wrong.

Lesson 2: the closure of cloud services that you use heavily is more painful than the disappearance of your favourite piece of desktop software. Generally, you can keep using the desktop software for years. The closure of Reader gives me a relatively close deadline to reorganise my online life. I spend most of my online day reading stuff in software that syncs with Reader.

I've installed both Tiny Tiny RSS (http://tt-rss.org/) (free) and Fever (http://www.feedafever.com) ($30) on my own server. I’m currently running both and switching between them to see which I prefer. Fever is easier to set up than TT-RSS.

I already use my own domain for email and use a paid email hosting service. I have no intention of trying Google's new service, Keep (https://plus.google.com/105300064640552437108/posts/eqbhWDxBRX4), despite my addiction to note-taking apps. Google have made their position clear. In so far as it is possible, it is time to de-cloud, and particularly to de-Google, my life. Hosting your own services is the only rational long-term solution.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on March 26, 2013, 07:24 PM
Lifehacker recently published a step-by-step on setting up TinyTinyRSS. Read it here (http://lifehacker.com/5992404/how-to-build-your-own-syncing-rss-reader-with-tiny-tiny-rss-and-kick-google-reader-to-the-curb).

Syncing RSS Reader with Tiny Tiny RSS and Kick Google Reader to the Curb
Alan Henry   

Yes, Google Reader is going away, and yes, there are great alternatives. However, if you're tired of web services shutting down on you, why not take matters into your own hands? Tiny Tiny RSS is a free, open-source syncing RSS platform with more features than Google Reader ever had, and it can't get shut down. Here's how to install it and set it up.

What You'll Get

Setting up Tiny Tiny RSS requires a little patience, but it's deceptively easy. I had my instance set up and web-accessible within a few hours, and I spent a few more tweaking all of the settings and options just the way I wanted them. At the end of the day you'll have a web page that you can visit at any time, on any device, to read all of the latest articles from the blogs you subscribe to. Tiny Tiny RSS supports filters and labels, so you can organize those feeds into categories, filter out the stories you don't want, and organize them so you read the interesting things first. You can also score feeds, so the blogs you like the most float to the top. There are more features than we have time to get into, but you can read more about them here...

They have an Android app available for it too. :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Deozaan on March 27, 2013, 04:23 AM
Lifehacker recently published a step-by-step on setting up TinyTinyRSS. Read it here (http://lifehacker.com/5992404/how-to-build-your-own-syncing-rss-reader-with-tiny-tiny-rss-and-kick-google-reader-to-the-curb).

They have an Android app available for it too. :Thmbsup:
-40hz (March 26, 2013, 07:24 PM)

I tried to set this up, but I'm getting an error:

Warning: Unexpected character in input: '\' (ASCII=92) state=1 in /index.php on line 98

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING, expecting ',' or ';' in /index.php on line 98

Line 98 is:

[Select]
echo JShrink/Minifier::minify($p->get_js());

I commented out that line and now it works--sort of. Actually, it tells me that I need to use PHP 5.3.0 or newer. I guess I'm still on 5.2.x . . .
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on March 27, 2013, 06:08 AM
Heise Media UK recently published a fairly extensive article on their H-Open (http://www.h-online.com/open/)  :-* blog about replacing GoogleReader functionality with currently available software and hosting solutions. Read it here (http://www.h-online.com/open/features/Replacing-Google-Reader-1829086.html).

For a large number of information collectors and collators on the internet the current challenge is to find a replacement for the Google Reader service. The H's Fabian Scherschel has looked at what functionality made Google Reader popular and what are the current best alternatives to the Reader experience.
.
.
.
This article will give an overview of the most popular alternatives to Google Reader that currently exist, starting with hosted services (open source and proprietary) and progressing to self-hosted, open source alternatives, and one rather unique self-hosted proprietary package. Although the focus here is primarily on web-based software, as we are looking to replicate Google Reader's most important characteristics, we have included a roundup of the native open source RSS readers that are available on the Linux desktop, as some users might want to switch to desktop software instead or use it to complement a web-based service. ...

 8)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on March 27, 2013, 08:59 AM
Thanks very much, 40hz.  I found the H-Open discussion helpful.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on March 27, 2013, 10:42 AM
I commented out that line and now it works--sort of. Actually, it tells me that I need to use PHP 5.3.0 or newer. I guess I'm still on 5.2.x . . .
-Deozaan (March 27, 2013, 04:23 AM)

Well, that is one of the requirements.  ;D

Heise Media UK recently published a fairly extensive article on their H-Open (http://www.h-online.com/open/)  :-* blog about replacing GoogleReader functionality with currently available software and hosting solutions. Read it here (http://www.h-online.com/open/features/Replacing-Google-Reader-1829086.html).
-40hz (March 27, 2013, 06:08 AM)

Until reading that article, I didn't know that NewsBlur was downloadable- I might start looking more closely at that...  Thanks 40!
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on March 27, 2013, 02:00 PM
Heise Media UK recently published a fairly extensive article on their H-Open (http://www.h-online.com/open/)  :-* blog about replacing GoogleReader functionality with currently available software and hosting solutions. Read it here (http://www.h-online.com/open/features/Replacing-Google-Reader-1829086.html).
-40hz (March 27, 2013, 06:08 AM)

Thanks for the link -- that's the best summary of options I've seen so far. One thing I'd add -- in the article's description of Fever (http://www.feedafever.com/), it concentrates on the fact that Fever can rank news items by "temperature": a particular news item is hotter the more it is being talked about. But it's worth noting that if you don't include any feeds in Fever's "Sparks" list, then Fever behaves like a normal RSS reader, with all your feeds visible in full, in folders if you use them. I've been using Fever this way -- I haven't used the temperature feature.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Deozaan on March 27, 2013, 10:42 PM
TinyTinyRSS sucks.

At first it wouldn't work because of an error in its own code.
Then I had to upgrade PHP (which admittedly shouldn't count against TTRSS)
Then I had to figure out why it couldn't connect to the mysql database (I had to put the username/password/etc. in single quotes instead of double quotes, even though the file had the sample text inside double quotes)
I finally got it working to the point where I could login and configure it and then I tried to import my Google Reader subscriptions but it just encounters some more errors.

:down: :down:
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: allen on March 28, 2013, 01:00 AM
While I'm definitely shocked about the news, I never saw it coming... I have mixed feelings. My OPML has moved around a lot. There were a few programs (and at least one service (anybody remember Lektora?)) I'd used before Google Reader... and since, I've gone back and forth a lot. I'd find an app or service I liked better and use it, then I'd go back to Google because I wanted to sync with my phone or tablet. This is my problem. Google Reader came along and became the defacto API... and as a result, I've long felt held hostage by Google Reader. I may find an app or service that I like much better but because it doesn't sync with google it only works on one screen. If I want seamless states between my pcs, phone and tablet I've got to have Google in the middle. The sync state was handy, but there was a down side. Google stopped innovating the day they released reader. The only major changes they oversaw were removing social features and, now, pulling the plug.

So I guess I feel liberated. I was on the verge of returning to reader for its API when the news broke... now, they don't have that over my head. Some say RSS is dead but I think Google getting out of the game isn't going to kill it, it's going to breathe life into it. For years now status quo has been refining the interface to the Google Reader API. Now we move on.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: edbro on March 28, 2013, 07:16 AM
I too mourn the loss. I've been searching for an alternative, like everyone else. My need is for it to be cross platform/cross device. I've tried to like Feedly. The web version is great but the mobile versions suck, IMO. I think I have settled on Netvibes. It has the look and feel of GReader. No mobile apps but the mobile web page is pretty slick.

I had used Netvibes already as a start page using the widget interface. If you turn on the Reader interface then it works just like GReader.

I'm anxious to see what Digg is going to offer, and how soon.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Jibz on April 15, 2013, 06:12 AM
I was playing around with some of the alternatives, and noticed something strange in the reviews of the feedly app for chrome on google play -- pretty much all reviews on the first two pages are exactly the same two comments from different people:

Feedly has managed to create a visually appealing RSS reader, that also focuses on a clean simple visual style that is intuitive to use.
and
Since the announcement of Google Reader being discontinued, I have enjoyed this easy app. It also has a simple, attractive interface. Highly recommend.

Does anybody know how this happens?

I am not saying it's some form of scam, but I wonder if it could be something like a 'feature' in the app that lets you post a review if you like it, and suggests some standard quote like this.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on April 18, 2013, 08:12 AM
..I'm anxious to see what Digg is going to offer, and how soon.
-edbro (March 28, 2013, 07:16 AM)

Yes, so am I. I have signed up for their ßeta interest group and user surveys. I have just completed their second survey, in which they link to this very interesting post from BuzzFeed.com - which I had not seen before - about Google Reader and its demise: Google's Lost Social Network (http://www.buzzfeed.com/robf4/googles-lost-social-network).

Warning: If you read it, you might find yourself - like me - getting all pissed-off again about Google killing Google Reader.    >:(
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: nosh on June 05, 2013, 10:17 AM
Bump!

So how's everyone getting on? I plan to stick with my RSS app of choice (Mr.Reader on iPad).

The developer says he's finished implementing support for bazqux.com, feedbin.me, feedhq.org and feedwrangler.net. He's willing to implement support for other services so long as they have Google Reader compatible (or otherwise decent) APIs.

He's also implemented support for Fever (feedafever.com) but people who plan on using it need to know -
The Fever API does not currently allow you to manage feeds and folders (adding new feeds, renaming folders, moving feeds into folders, etc.). Unfortunately I was unable to make contact with the developer (he’s working on other projects).

Feedly has also paired up with 3rd party app devs. Incidentally, they've admitted their apps suck  ;D , though not in so many words. They're hand-picking the apps they're willing to support though.

Some interesting info on the 'Mr.Reader' blog (even for non-users):
Supported Google Reader Alternatives (part one) (http://mrreaderblog.curioustimes.de/post/51629925396/supported-google-reader-alternatives-part-one)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on June 05, 2013, 10:33 AM
I've totally given up on feed reader services. I'll just stick to Sage Reader running under Firefox, and sync through FF's built-in synchronoization feature. Since Sage uses a single folder under the browser's bookmarks to maintain its list of RSS feeds, it's about as easy and transparent as it gets. It can also export an OPML file in case something better comes along.

YMMV. :)  :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 05, 2013, 11:29 AM
Well, I am currently experimenting with Yahoo! Pipes (http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/) to gather the RSS feeds.
It seems pretty powerful, but I am still learning...
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Tuxman on June 05, 2013, 11:34 AM
I've been using Feedly for a while and got used to it now... (still waiting for a non-ugly desktop app though).
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Stoic Joker on June 05, 2013, 11:56 AM
I have all my RSS feeds in Outlook where they are, and can be quietly and conveniently collected, stored, and completely forgotten. I just checked...and I have just under 5,000 unread items.


Hint: This is not a recommendation.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: f0dder on June 05, 2013, 12:27 PM
I'm using Website Watcher - since I'm already using it to watch for changes on sites that don't have feeds, I might as well use it for feeds too. Works decently enough, even if it has a few quirks.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on June 05, 2013, 01:16 PM
^ thanks for that tip.  I'm using The Old Reader, but I do have a license to Website Watcher, and that seems to work better on many levels, if worse in one specific case; the fact that a web interface to the results would be stellar.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: nosh on June 05, 2013, 02:01 PM
I've just tried
 
bazqux.com - really like it - looks good & is very responsive but I don't think they've implemented tags - deal-breaker! :(

feedhq.org - hated it! Low on features + ugly UI.

feedly - I actually find their Chrome client better than Google reader

feedwrangler and feedbin don't have trials so I haven't used them - I don't care for the feedwrangler UI but feedbin looks interesting.

I'll probably join the herd and end up with feedly. Feedbin ($20/yr) might be worth considering depending on how much feedly intends to charge for their Pro service. Most Reader users have gone their way so they should be able to come up with a sensible price point.

[Forgot to screencap my previous [1337] post. Where's the paparazzi when you need them?  :( ]

 
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 06, 2013, 07:00 AM
My alternatives to GR (Google Reader): (so far)
I have tried and discarded most (but not all) of the alternatives mentioned in this discussion thread. Two look hopeful.

This is why I have been experimenting with Yahoo! Pipes (http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/) as a fall-back feed reader/aggregator, but even that could be deprecated or shut down by Yahoo! at some stage, I presume. It would require some development effort on my part, but the development UI is so simple it's a bit like painting by numbers.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 06, 2013, 08:30 AM
Coincidentally, this from Infoworld.com:    :up:
(Copied below sans embedded hyperlinks/images.)
Feedly wins the Google Reader expat crown (http://akamai.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/feedly-wins-the-google-reader-expat-crown-219963)

Free RSS service partners with several popular RSS apps, including gReader, Newsify, and Reeder, to keep feeds going after Google pulls the plug
By Gregg Keizer | Computerworld

Feedly, the free RSS service that has been the safe harbor for millions of Internet refugees fleeing the soon-to-be-defunct Google Reader, announced Monday that several popular RSS apps will access its API free of charge.

The move will let users view, read and manage Feedly's news feed from five different desktop or mobile applications, including gReader (for Android; free or $4.99 for Pro version), Newsify (iOS; free), Nextgen Reader (Windows Phone, Windows 8; $1.99-$2.99), Reeder (OS X, iOS; free for OS X, $2.99 for iOS ) and Press (Android; $2.99).

[ Get your websites up to speed with HTML5 today using the techniques in InfoWorld's HTML5 Deep Dive PDF how-to report. | Learn how to secure your Web browsers in InfoWorld's "Web Browser Security Deep Dive" PDF guide. ]

In early March, Google announced it was axing Google Reader as part of housecleaning that killed several other projects as well. The search giant cited declining use of Reader for the decision to retire the RSS service and Google's feed on July 1, 2013.

As millions scrambled for alternatives, Feedly was the first to pledge it would keep users connected by moving them to a homegrown clone of the Google Reader API (application programming interface), code named "Normandy," before Google's service went dark.

In a blog post Monday, Feedly acknowledged that "June is going to be another crazy month," but noted that it is on track to handle the switch from Google Reader and its API, having added more server capacity and revised its apps for iOS and Android, as well as its browser-based interface.

The Palo Alto, Calif. company also laid out a roadmap of future improvements and additions, promising to boost Feedly's speed, develop Windows 8 and Windows Phone apps of its own -- it currently offers free iOS and Android apps -- and improve group sharing.

The five app partners announced Monday are just the first wave, Feedly said, promising more details of others in the future.

Feedly has also said it plans to offer a paid option later this year, but the company has not disclosed pricing, a feature set or even a timetable for the premium service.

Other RSS services that flew under the radar before Google's decision to pull the plug, including the oft-recommended NewsBlur, have also added users, updated their software or begun charging users. Newsblur, for example, handled the flood by temporarily barring new registrations for free access -- that has been restored -- instead asking them to pony up $24 annually to keep the service going.

Feedly also provides browser-specific plug-ins for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari on the desktop, which can be downloaded from its website.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His email address is [email protected].

Read more about Internet in Computerworld's Internet Topic Center.
Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate.

Tags: Internet, Web Services, Google
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on June 06, 2013, 09:15 AM
I concluded in an earlier post (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=34307.msg322021#msg322021) that hosting your own reader was the only rational solution. But although I have tried my best to like both Tiny Tiny RSS (http://tt-rss.org/) and Fever (http://www.feedafever.com/), neither gives me everything I want.

I ruled out TTRSS quickly. It just seemed a bit clunky to me. And although Fever is very slick, it's almost too slick. It has that iOS/Mac feel with lots of sexy white space that should actually be used for content (I'm a "fill the screen with plain text" kind-of-guy).

To cut a long story short, at the moment I'm trialling Feedbin (https://feedbin.me/), which has a nice familiar three-column setup, and I can see my folders and feeds Google Reader-style.

It still feels unfinished in places. For example, in Firefox the first column has a fixed and very narrow width, so all the feed titles are truncated. I pointed this out (https://github.com/feedbin/support/issues/160) in the support forum and it turned out it was a bug the developer was aware of but had not dealt with. With a bug like that, Feedbin should still be calling itself a beta.

Like many of these new-ish offerings, Feedbin is basic in other ways. For example you can't adjust fonts or background colours unless you're fairly techy (e.g. you can use userContent.css in Firefox to make adjustments, which is what I did (https://github.com/feedbin/support/issues/162), but it's trial and error).

Rant: why does everyone use white backgrounds? Particularly for sites where you're going to spend a lot of time, it's the worst option. For anyone who feels the same, I already use this excellent Greasemonkey script (https://userscripts.org/scripts/show/142763), which does a great job on 95% of sites, including this forum (and can be tweaked to suit your own tastes). The reason I dismissed Feedly (http://www.feedly.com) is that it's impossible to change the article background colour. It's always white, no matter what theme you choose, and no amount of playing with userContent.css or the Greasemonkey script could change that.</rant>

The most intriguing offering to me is actually Feed Wrangler (http://feedwrangler.net/welcome.html), although I haven't tried it. Again looks a bit Mac-y to me, lots of white space. But I like the fact that it already offers smart folders (a.k.a. smart searches/virtual folders). That's not common, and very desirable.

But it doesn't look as if Feed Wrangler offers a basic folders/feeds view like Google Reader. I know it's old-fashioned, but if you have a lot of feeds, it's very efficient. I may be wrong, but Feed Wrangler doesn't offer a trial, so you'd have to be prepared to take a subscription and then ask for a refund if you don't like it, and I'm not that interested yet. I'll keep an eye on it.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: phitsc on June 06, 2013, 01:58 PM
I've also settled for Feedly for the time being. Like IainB I find it inferior to Google Reader, especially its interface. It's not slow for me though. I wish it had https.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 22, 2013, 10:14 AM
Notes from me:
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: sicknero on June 22, 2013, 12:52 PM
I didn't really want a browser based reader so spent a while trying out a few different ones.

RSS Owl - gorgeous GUI but requires JRE and the portable version tends to forget everything. Also slow and a bit of a cpu hog when updating reads.

QuiteRSS - Quite nice :-) I stuck with this one for a couple of weeks but although it doesn't use java I still found that it would tie up all my CPU cycles while updating.

I'm now settled on Great News (http://www.curiostudio.com/) which has a nice interface, enough features and is the lightest I've found so far in terms of resource usage while updating.

An honourable mention to Desktop Ticker (http://www.battware.co.uk/desktopticker.htm) - add whatever RSS feeds you like to it and it scrolls the headlines across your screen in news ticker form. Appearance is customisable, it can float or dock, if you hover over a headline you get more info and if you click on the headline it opens the full story. Great stuff.

Lol IainB, I should have known there'd be a Downfall parody  ;D ("Anyone who thinks social media is a valid replacement for an RSS reader leave the room now" lololololololol..)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on June 22, 2013, 07:18 PM
I tried Feedly but I couldn't get it to show me all my feeds, and no matter what "view" I tried, I couldn't find one that was similar to what I had (and liked) on Google Reader.  Then a day or so ago, I read that FeedDemon Pro was now free.  It's not browser-based, though you can read the feed links in your browser if you want to.  It's free, it doesn't ask for a name or password, you just download FeedDemon 4.5 from the website (http://www.feeddemon.com/) and install it on your computer.  I imported all my Google Reader feeds and I was good to go.  So far, I'm very pleased.  :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on June 22, 2013, 07:36 PM
FeedDemon Pro is excellent, I've been using it for years. But as mentioned earlier in this thread, it has gone free because the program is now dead. The developer has explained in some detail (http://nick.typepad.com/blog/2013/03/the-end-of-feeddemon.html) why the program will no longer be developed. FeedDemon now only makes sense for people who will only read their feeds on the desktop. I imagine that's now a small minority, but I may be wrong...
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on June 22, 2013, 08:01 PM
FeedDemon Pro is excellent, I've been using it for years. But as mentioned earlier in this thread, it has gone free because the program is now dead. The developer has explained in some detail (http://nick.typepad.com/blog/2013/03/the-end-of-feeddemon.html) why the program will no longer be developed. FeedDemon now only makes sense for people who will only read their feeds on the desktop. I imagine that's now a small minority, but I may be wrong...
-johnk (June 22, 2013, 07:36 PM)
Well, I only read Google Reader on my desktop, and I expect I'll do the same thing with FeedDemon.   I guess I'll continue to pay attention to what other RSS Readers are available, but so far I'm happy with FeedDemon.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on June 22, 2013, 08:52 PM
Well, I only read Google Reader on my desktop, and I expect I'll do the same thing with FeedDemon.
-cyberdiva (June 22, 2013, 08:01 PM)
I think you've made a good choice. If I only read my RSS feeds on the desktop, I'd certainly stick with FeedDemon. I'm still testing Google Reader alternatives, currently using Feedbin (https://feedbin.me/), syncing with Press (http://twentyfivesquares.com/press/) on Android, but I'm keeping an eye out in case something better comes along. Digg Reader (http://digg.com/reader) beta launches on Wednesday...
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 23, 2013, 02:21 AM
...("Anyone who thinks social media is a valid replacement for an RSS reader leave the room now" lololololololol..)
-sicknero (June 22, 2013, 12:52 PM)
Yes, it's quite clever, and most apposite.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 23, 2013, 03:18 AM
.The reason I dismissed Feedly (http://www.feedly.com) is that it's impossible to change ..the article background colour. It's always white, no matter what theme you choose, and no amount of playing with userContent.css or the Greasemonkey script could change that...
-johnk (June 06, 2013, 09:15 AM)
I skipped over that statement before and only just noticed it today. It is easy to get the Feedly background changed to whatever you want - if you use Firefox with the NoSquint add-on.
Look at my example and comparison above: Re: Google Reader gone (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=34307.msg327917#msg327917)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Jibz on June 23, 2013, 05:07 AM
My concern with Feedly is that they are pulling in as many people as possible without telling them exactly how they will be monetizing the service after google reader shuts down. They have said it will be a freemium thing where certain features will be available only on a subscription, but what features? At least some of the others have the premium stuff in place already, I fear some people will be surprised once Feedly implements this.

I love FeedDemon, and was a registered user of a previous version. It really is one of the most slick desktop clients. But since it's end-of-life'd, it probably won't be updated to support whatever comes down the road.

I imported all my feeds to RSSOwl for a start, which works okay, and then I will probably see what features end up in Feedly premium and see if it's worth it. I would personally prefer a web based reader.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on June 23, 2013, 06:40 AM
It is easy to get the Feedly background changed to whatever you want - if you use Firefox with the NoSquint add-on.
-IainB (June 23, 2013, 03:18 AM)
Thanks for that. I've never come across NoSquint before. I'll have a play.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 23, 2013, 07:11 AM
My concern with Feedly is that they are pulling in as many people as possible without telling them exactly how they will be monetizing the service after google reader shuts down. ...
-Jibz (June 23, 2013, 05:07 AM)
The correct term for this might "be bait and switch". We shall see.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on June 23, 2013, 08:40 AM
I love FeedDemon, and was a registered user of a previous version. It really is one of the most slick desktop clients. But since it's end-of-life'd, it probably won't be updated to support whatever comes down the road.
-Jibz (June 23, 2013, 05:07 AM)
I have relatively simple requirements for an RSS reader, and most of the bells and whistles that I've seen in other readers do not interest me.  But still, I am concerned about FeedDemon's ability to deal with "whatever comes down the road."  That's why I will continue to keep my eyes open and read helpful threads like this one.  For now, though, FeedDemon seems more than capable of handling what I need.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 23, 2013, 10:32 PM
Here's a copy of my RSS readers - Evaluation PMI notes as at 2013-06-24. (Image copy of a OneNotes table.)
(Hope it's of help/use. Click to enlarge.)
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 24, 2013, 07:59 AM
I didn't know about this:
AOL Launches Google Reader Replacement Just In Time For Google Reader’s Shutdown [Updates] (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/aol-launches-google-reader-replacement-just-in-time-for-google-readers-shutdown-updates/)
Trialling it now...
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on June 24, 2013, 08:25 AM
Thanks very much, Iain.  I found your chart helpful, and I'm glad to know about AOL Reader as well.  
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: mwb1100 on June 24, 2013, 12:40 PM
Another interesting development is http://www.reedah.com who have reimplemented Google Reader's API to some extent.  If you can configure your reader to pointer to reedah.com instead of google.com for it's RSS API access, it's supposed to be able to provide the synching that google used to provide.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on June 24, 2013, 01:09 PM
I keep looking at this article (http://lifehacker.com/5992404/how-to-build-your-own-syncing-rss-reader-with-tiny-tiny-rss-and-kick-google-reader-to-the-curb) and thinking "Hmm...maybe....just maybe when a get some free time."

It doesn't look like it's that big a chore. Maybe not exactly a freshman server project. But I'm sure it's easily within the technical cabilities of many DoCo members.

Here's another article (http://lifehacker.com/5992404/how-to-build-your-own-syncing-rss-reader-with-tiny-tiny-rss-and-kick-google-reader-to-the-curb) on doing the same.

Hmm...maybe...just maybe.... 8)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on June 24, 2013, 01:31 PM
Someone else tried that... and posted the results here somewhere, I think...
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on June 24, 2013, 02:15 PM
Someone else tried that... and posted the results here somewhere, I think...
-wraith808 (June 24, 2013, 01:31 PM)

The only reference I could find to it was this (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=34307.msg327925#msg327925) post. And this was all that was said about TinyTiny RSS:

I concluded in an earlier post that hosting your own reader was the only rational solution. But although I have tried my best to like both Tiny Tiny RSS and Fever, neither gives me everything I want.

I ruled out TTRSS quickly. It just seemed a bit clunky to me...

Does that constitute an actual try I wonder? ;D

Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on June 24, 2013, 02:24 PM
Well played, and valid point :)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on June 24, 2013, 03:15 PM
Someone else tried that... and posted the results here somewhere, I think...
-wraith808 (June 24, 2013, 01:31 PM)
The only reference I could find to it was this (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=34307.msg327925#msg327925) post. And this was all that was said about TinyTiny RSS:
I concluded in an earlier post that hosting your own reader was the only rational solution. But although I have tried my best to like both Tiny Tiny RSS and Fever, neither gives me everything I want.
I ruled out TTRSS quickly. It just seemed a bit clunky to me...
Does that constitute an actual try I wonder? ;D
-40hz (June 24, 2013, 02:15 PM)

Okay, admittedly that was an unhelpful summary of my experience. To elaborate slightly: although TT-RSS has been around a long time, it still feels a bit beta-ish to me. The interface is not slick, but it does work. It is slow and clunky in use compared to others I have used (and I have used many in the last couple of months). For example, TT-RSS refreshes and reloads were very slow compared to Fever, which I was self-hosting at the same time on the same server.

Fever, was better in almost all respects. Easier to install (much easier), and an elegant interface that is a pleasure to use, and far quicker in use. I only ruled out Fever because the basic UI design is not as good in practice as a more traditional three-column interface, if you read large volumes of material on a daily basis. That's the only area where TT-RSS was better. But overall, if you want a basic three-column web-based RSS reader, in my opinion Feedbin is far better than TT-RSS.

I hope that's more helpful.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on June 24, 2013, 05:02 PM
I hope that's more helpful.
-johnk (June 24, 2013, 03:15 PM)

Quite a bit & thx! ;D From your initial remark I thought that maybe you had merely given it a quick glance and decided it wasn't the ticket.

Actually, it's not the web interface I'm that interested in. What I really want is something that will take a large and regularly updated feed list and cache it locally on my personal network and make it available to all the machines connected to it.

The problem with things like Fever isn't so much what they don't do as it is what they try to do. I have zero use for 'social' anything. And I have no patience with things that try to make guesses about what I want or need to see. Maybe that's more because I've developed a rapid skimming technique perfectly suited to my personal requirements so I don't need an app to "help" me with that part.

 8)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on June 24, 2013, 05:20 PM
The problem with things like Fever isn't so much what they don't do as it is what they try to do. I have zero use for 'social' anything.
-40hz (June 24, 2013, 05:02 PM)

I think I mentioned this before: although the Fever (http://www.feedafever.com/) web site concentrates heavily on its "Sparks" feature (the ranking system it uses for "hot" stories), it is very easy to ignore this feature. If you don't put any feeds in the Sparks category, Fever behaves like any other RSS reader -- it's just folders and feeds. Self-hosted options are limited, so if you think the interface would suit you, it's worth a try. Keyboard navigation works well. The only problem is that there is no trial version.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 24, 2013, 08:06 PM
I was just reviewing some old RSS feeds via AOL Reader (which I am trialling), when I spotted this bloggerindraft blogpost from November 2011:
Blogger’s Brand New Google+ Page (http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.jp/2011/11/bloggers-brand-new-google-page.html)
(Copied below sans embedded hyperlinks/images.)
Earlier this week, the Google+ team launched Pages, a new way for you to keep up-to-date with your interests and build relationships with the people who share them. Today, the Blogger team is launching our own Google+ Page, and we’d like to invite you to add us to one of your circles.

By adding Blogger's Page in one of your circles, you'll start seeing updates from the Blogger team in your Google+ stream. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage with other bloggers by writing comments on the posts. Here's a quick list of what to expect:
•Product news and announcements
•Video Hangouts with the Blogger team
•Spotlights on Blogger users and their blogs
•Pro tips from the Blogger team and other users

Lastly, be sure to mention +Blogger when you share your own tips -- if we come across something particularly helpful, we may reshare it. See you on Google+! Posted by Lisa Ding, Community Manager
Posted 10th November 2011 by A Googler

[rant]
The thing is, I and probably tens of thousands of other people never wanted Google's "exciting" stupid and pointless-for-users proprietary Google+ in the first place, and resented their puerile attempts to coerce us to use it as our "social notworking tool of choice", to make the coffee or whatever, and to read all of our newsfeeds -  rather than using Google Reader for RSS (as we currently do).

So what did Google do? Well, apparently, one of the clever things they have done is to take away Google Reader - thus making one less reason for not using Google+. Smart, eh? I presume this could make some kind of sense if you were absolutely desperate to create/force more eyeballs onto the proprietary Google+ feeds, if only to avoid the marketer's nightmare of a Second Wave, which could permanently tsunami your career prospects at Google.
So, if you wanted some real reasons (as opposed to all the stupid fibs and prevarication) for killing off Google Reader, then one could probably be that it had to be sacrificed at the alter of Google+ - a cuckoo project that probably "cannot" (i.e., must not) fail.

The histories of IT organisations are littered with the corpses of such "cannot fail" projects, and their inventors. The deciding factor is not how strongly some idiot executive insists - beyond all reason - that the experiment must work, but when business reality takes over and someone sane counts the costs and cost-benefits, and then pulls the plug.
Here is a picture of an approach recommended by the NZ SSC (State Services Commission) for scrutinising and aborting runaway cost projects.
(Notional project cost curve showing funding, and termination points when accepted costs are exceeded.)

[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
[/rant]
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Jibz on June 25, 2013, 06:00 AM
Related (and rather amusing):

http://www.jwz.org/blog/2013/06/google-reader-apocalypse-extremely-fucking-nigh/

Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 25, 2013, 11:26 AM
^^ Yep. Good post.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on June 25, 2013, 09:03 PM
The search continues...as stated above, Feedbin (https://feedbin.me/) is my favourite so far, but in the end I'm quite nervous about relying on what appears to be a one-man operation.

I'm looking forward to trying the Digg reader when it appears, but I decided today to have one last look at Feedly (http://www.feedly.com/) and try to deal with the things that annoyed me. I keep coming back to it because it's one of the few readers that syncs with Press (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.twentyfivesquares.press), my Android reader of choice. I intended using the NoSquint (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/nosquint/) Firefox extension to deal with the colouring of the site, as advised by IainB, but I decided first to look for themes online.

One undisputed benefit of Feedly being popular is that plenty of people will be tweaking it, and sure enough Userstyles (http://userstyles.org/styles/browse/feedly?page=1) has plenty of themes.

One of them, IamEyeFriendly (http://userstyles.org/styles/84527/feedly-iameyefriendly), got me halfway to what I want, changing the colour scheme, and once you have a base CSS it's easy to keep going. I found the IamEyeFriendly defaults too dark, so I brightened it. By messing around, I found I was able to adjust more or less anything, including, critically, the font for the article text (currently I am very partial to Bitter (http://www.google.com/webfonts/specimen/Bitter) as an on-screen reading font -- I also use it in Press. I also reduced the padding around the article text. There was far too much space wasted.

I then found a script called Feedly Enhancer (http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/166388), which allowed me to make one more important change -- making the left pane wider. The default is ridiculously narrow, and many of my feed titles were truncated. The script contains a few other useful, space-saving tweaks. If only I could find a way to remove all those annoying social/sharing buttons...The remaining weakness of Feedly is that it doesn't seem to use a mobilizer to grab the text content of RSS feeds that don't supply full-text RSS by default. Feedly just sends you to the web page. Feedbin wins here (I believe it uses Readability (http://www.readability.com/)).

Here is a screengrab (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13895942/Feedly.png) of my current Feedly setup to give you an idea of what I did. So Feedly is a contender again. Digg needs to impress...
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Jibz on June 26, 2013, 05:25 AM
I'm looking forward to trying the Digg reader when it appears
-johnk (June 25, 2013, 09:03 PM)

http://blog.digg.com/post/53894365994/digg-reader-rollout

Looks nice and simple, but like the rest of the web offerings, going freemium at some point.

Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on June 26, 2013, 06:22 AM
Just in time! A recent article on some open source RSS alternatives can be found here (http://opensource.com/life/13/6/open-source-rss).

Some of the apps in the article have been mentioned previously in this thread. But some are new.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: nosh on June 26, 2013, 06:37 AM
I'm going with Bazqux.com  (a 30 day trial after which you're charged $9, $19 or $29 a year for the same service, you get to decide what it's worth) over Feedly's freebie.

Note: My intent here isn't to trash Feedly. Despite my dislike for some things, I may end up using it if Bazqux throws a nasty surprise at me down the line. I may come across as a little enthusiastic in my praise for Bazqux - they're all valid points, but compounded by the fact that I'm justifying paying (albeit very little) for something when there's a free alternative available.


Here are my reasons for picking Bazqux over Feedly:

I love the aesthetics. Feedly's look (colors/ text spacing): not so much to my taste.

Bazqux has fewer options but just the essential ones, IMO - all placed neatly in a drop down menu on the main page. Feedly throws everything and the kitchen sink on a separate settings web page.

Bazqux has all its sharing options in a little dropdown menu, Feedly has some individual sharing icons and then an expanding menu with more options. There are some social media options in settings too, so I don't know how much of this can be customized but the point is: why unnecessarily complicate what should be straightforward functionality? I could probably delve deeper into the options and see if I can do something to fix things but there's a larger point to make here - it's design decisions like this that put me off a service. And it's the simplicity & functionality of the other service that makes one really love it.

Resize the browser beyond a certain point and Feedly loses the left hand feeds panel, not so with Bazqux.

Bazqux is snappier.

Feedly hasn't outlined a monetization plan - they're free, a double-edged sword. I'm not one to shun a free service but am gravitating towards the "you get what you pay for" camp these days.

Bazqux has an easily accessible OPML export function, it saves an .xml file to disk - nice and easy. As of now, Feedly doesn't seem to have any known way to export your data if you decide to switch services.

If you're looking for a Google Reader replacement, I would strongly recommend taking the Bazqux 30 day trial for a spin.

Edit: I'd mentioned in one of my earlier posts that Bazqux didn't have support for starred and tagged items. The developer's added that functionality now and it works well.  

Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on June 26, 2013, 09:07 AM
@nosh - Thx for the pointer to Bazqux. I set up a trial and it looks pretty nice. Blazingly fast and quite readable too. And it sucked in  a very large OMPL file without a hiccup in just a few seconds.  So far, there's a lot to like here.

 ;D I especially appreciated this bit of candor in the FAQ:

Will you add free accounts?

No. I don't want to close reader like Google.

Yeah...I just might subscribe to this thing after the trial period...


Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: nosh on June 26, 2013, 09:17 AM
My pleasure! I love helping along lesser known but quality services like these. :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: ewemoa on June 26, 2013, 07:17 PM
A recent article on some open source RSS alternatives can be found here (http://opensource.com/life/13/6/open-source-rss).
-40hz (June 26, 2013, 06:22 AM)

Thanks for the link :Thmbsup:

Happen to be trying one mentioned there: newsbeuter (http://www.newsbeuter.org/index.html).  It bills itself as "the Mutt of RSS feed readers" and it does feel it a bit like it.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on June 27, 2013, 03:39 AM
BazQux reader: I have been trialling https://bazqux.com/ on and off for 20 days now, and it is very impressive indeed - if anything, it's better than Google Reader.
I had been hoping one of the "FREE" readers would come up to the same sort of standard, but they don't - not even the moribund Google Reader.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: erikts on June 30, 2013, 07:27 PM
I'm going with Bazqux.com (https://bazqux.com/)  (a 30 day trial after which you're charged $9, $19 or $29 a year for the same service, you get to decide what it's worth) over Feedly's freebie.
-nosh (June 26, 2013, 06:37 AM)

Nosh, thanks for the head up. I am also now trialing Bazqux.com (https://bazqux.com/).
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: phitsc on July 01, 2013, 01:18 AM
I'm going with Bazqux.com (https://bazqux.com/)  (a 30 day trial after which you're charged $9, $19 or $29 a year for the same service, you get to decide what it's worth) over Feedly's freebie.
-nosh (June 26, 2013, 06:37 AM)

Nosh, thanks for the head up. I am also now trialing Bazqux.com (https://bazqux.com/).
-erikts (June 30, 2013, 07:27 PM)

And me.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: allen on July 01, 2013, 09:36 AM
Bazqux is impressive -- very simple, light, fast. Newsblur feels sluggish by comparison, though I still somewhat favor NewsBlur for a number of features and its high level of polish.

Thus far, the hardest part of trying out Bazqux has been remembering the name!
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: pl5bnsf on July 01, 2013, 10:46 AM
One thing I'm finding hard to work around is that I have two gmail accounts I used for Google Reader. One for home feeds and one for work feeds. Unfortunately, the paid RSS readers don't allow for multiple accounts without paying for 2 accounts. So, for me, I would need to purchase two accounts on something like Bazqux/Feedly/etc. Not hard to understand the logic of paying for each account...but it means I would need to pay double and they are monthly/yearly costs.

So I am now focused on using The Old Reader on which I can have multiple accounts and then I can donate to The Old Reader without facing a yearly $29 * 2 = $58 per year for something like Bazqux.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on July 01, 2013, 11:00 AM
I'm using The Old Reader also.  Less work than setting up my own, and it works well.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on July 01, 2013, 01:35 PM
^FWIW (assuming I understand Bazqux's TOS) you can pay what you want - with the suggested amount being between $9.95 and $29.95 annually. Haven't exhausted my free trial yet so I don't know how true in practice the "any amount" part is. I think $20-$30 annually is reasonable. But my finances aren't somebody else's so YMMV.

Also Bazqux doesn't have free accounts - period. So if you did need a free account, Bazqux won't be on your short list.
 :)

I wish DoCo could put something like this (plus some other web services) together for its members. Especially as paid services to get a steady revenue stream in. Because I'd rather drop my plastic here than elsewhere if I'm spending money.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Josh on July 01, 2013, 01:41 PM
Does anyone know of an IE8 friendly RSS web reader? I have yet to find one. And no, I CANNOT upgrade due to my work environment. We are forced to use IE8.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on July 01, 2013, 02:02 PM
I wish DoCo could put something like this (plus some other web services) together for its members. Especially as paid services to get a steady revenue stream in. Because I'd rather drop my plastic here than elsewhere if I'm spending money.
-40hz (July 01, 2013, 01:35 PM)

That's actually a really good idea.  You should create a thread and add the services we're looking for :)  Then maybe we can persuade Mouser to make it a project!
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on July 01, 2013, 02:13 PM
I'm sure I've already posted far too much detail about my seemingly endless search for the best Google Reader replacement. But as I seem to be nearing the end of my journey, I feel obliged to sum up. Briefly:

Previously: Google Reader (just for sync, never used it to read), FeedDemon (http://www.feeddemon.com/) on desktop, Press (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.twentyfivesquares.press&hl=en) on Android.

Now: Bazqux (https://bazqux.com/) on desktop, JustReader (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.justreader.beta) on Android (only option at the moment).

First of all, many thanks to Nosh for his encouragement to try BazQux. Indeed I had already tried it, very briefly, but there was so much I didn't like about the web interface:


But Nosh wasn't the only person recommending BazQux. I kept coming across favourable reviews on the web. So I though I'd have another go. And pretty soon the speed was addictive. I think I've tried most of the GR alternatives, and BaxQux is the fastest. Feedbin (https://feedbin.me/) (which was my favoured option before Bazqux) is almost as fast after its recent server upgrade.

I was impressed enough to spend a couple of hours re-jigging the BazQux interface to see if I could achieve a usable UI (using userContent.css in Firefox), and I came up with this (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13895942/bazqux.png): grey background, wider left column, lots of font and colour changes, padding where I thought BazQux needed some air, etc.

So BazQux it is. I like the fact that it is a paid-for option, it has been going for a year (i.e. before the GR meltdown) and the developer has said on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BazQuxReader/status/349918943726673920) that revenues are already more than covering his costs. Nothing is risk-free, but...

The only disappointment so far: that I can't hack Feeddemon to use it with Bazqux the way you can (https://groups.google.com/d/msg/feeddemon/cfQcdKUblJk/_ZtcBvlkja0J) for Reedah (https://www.reedah.com/developers.php). I have hex-edited a version of FeedDemon and tried to use it with Bazqux (which also has a Google API clone), but I can't log in. But that was a long shot anyway, and not exactly a long-term solution -- the developer of Basqux is supporting the Open Reader API (http://rss-sync.github.io/Open-Reader-API/rssconsensus/) initiative, and that seems sensible. Let's hope it comes about. And what makes Bazqux stand out in any case is that the speed of its interface means it is a real option for reading in volume. I might not miss FeedDemon as much as I expected.

By the way, the author of BazQux puts the speed of the site down to coding in Haskell (http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/1ha5dd/rss_reader_written_in_haskell_and_urweb). I'm not a programmer, so it means nothing to me, but the conversation may interest others here.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Josh on July 02, 2013, 03:34 AM
I have just stumbled upon the open source (you can download and install it yourself), or hosted solution: http://www.goread.io. Based upon my interaction with this tool, it works fine with IE8, is quick, and mimics Google Reader. This will go payware, merely to cover the costs of hosting as stated in the author's blog post (http://mattjibson.com/blog/2013/06/26/go-read-open-source-google-reader-clone/), but I would gladly pay for such a service.

This one is worth a look for everyone.

GoRead.io (http://www.goread.io)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on July 03, 2013, 11:23 AM
^^ goread.io just doesn't seem to work for me. I have tried it a few times.

This list of alternatives to Google Reader is quite useful from alternativeTo: http://alternativeto.net/software/google-reader/
The link is provided in the latest shutdown notice from Google Reader: Google Reader's Final Message (http://googlesystem.blogspot.co.nz/2013/07/google-readers-final-message.html)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on July 03, 2013, 11:27 AM
I had already anticipated that Google Alerts would remove RSS, so get the reports via email at present, whilst I find a decent workaround.
Refer: Google Alerts Drops RSS Feeds (http://googlesystem.blogspot.co.nz/2013/07/google-alerts-drops-rss-feeds.html)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on July 03, 2013, 11:36 AM
If you also missed Google web page monitoring, killed in 2010 (http://googlesystem.blogspot.co.nz/2010/09/google-readers-web-page-monitoring-to.html), try this: http://updatescanner.mozdev.org/
It's really very useful.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: dr_andus on July 06, 2013, 08:27 AM
I haven't done any in-depth research, but I've been scanning reviews, and eventually I settled on InoReader (https://inoreader.com/), which doesn't seem to have been mentioned on this forum yet.

My criteria were to try find something as close to the Google Reader experience in terms of simplicity as possible. I wasn't looking for any fancy intelligent processing or social networking. From what I've seen so far, InoReader came the closest. It's also free (for now).

So far so good. There were a couple of quirks in setting it up (I couldn't import an OPML file properly, but the XML export from Google Reader worked; and for some reason the service still says I need to validate my email, even though I've already done it several times), but otherwise it works and seems to be fast enough on the desktop. The iOS interface on the iPad (in the Safari browser) does not match the Google Reader experience as well, but for now I can live with it.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on July 06, 2013, 12:49 PM
InoReader looked rather interesting, but when I clicked on "see what other readers say about InoReader," a message appeared at the top of my screen that said "You will need Google Chrome to install most apps, extensions and themes.  Download Chrome now."  Apparently, the link to other readers' remarks went to chrome.google.com/webstore/.  I can't imagine why they'd put the comments there, but I decided that I'd move on.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: dr_andus on July 06, 2013, 01:20 PM
I can't imagine why they'd put the comments there, but I decided that I'd move on.
-cyberdiva (July 06, 2013, 12:49 PM)

I presume that this is why the service is free, i.e. the developer might be making some commission on 'encouraging' people to check out Chrome (just speculating) or use the Chrome extension.

However, I've been using it in Firefox and it's been working fine. I have not tested the Chrome extension, so can't say anything about that.

Perhaps check out the reviews here, this is where I first heard about them (in fact I was directed there from the defunct Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader/about/) page, by Google):

http://alternativeto.net/software/google-reader/ (http://alternativeto.net/software/google-reader/)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on July 06, 2013, 01:37 PM
I agree Inoreader is one of the best of the new breed of RSS readers. But I am wary simply on the basis that it lacks a business model. At first it was a one-man project, with no charge to users, then recently it was adopted as a project by the company the creator works for. But there's still no concrete plan to charge, just the notion that it will be "freemium" at some stage.

Now that everyone has gotten over the "shock" of GR's closure, and realised it's not such a big deal swapping readers, I guess people will worry less about some of the new alternatives closing. But close some of them will, and at the moment I feel more comfortable supporting a reader with only paying users. You know where you are, and so does the creator of the reader. But this market will continue to evolve rapidly. Already, the owner of Feedbin has raised his monthly charge (http://blog.feedbin.me/2013/07/02/feedbin-updates/) to $3/month or $30/year (for new users)...but I will consider InoReader again when they reveal their fee structure.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: dr_andus on July 10, 2013, 08:20 AM
You make valid points, but I'd say that signing up to a fledgling service with no apparent business model is also a way of supporting that idea and business. Another benefit of doing it is that early adopters quite often get a good deal out of being beta testers, by being excused from upgrade fees etc.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on July 10, 2013, 08:46 AM
I did end up subscribing to Bazqux. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided to follow my own advice that the only server you can really trust is the one you yourself control.

So now I'm experimenting with TinyTinyRSS, which looks really promising. The initial test running it on Softalicious' AMPPS (http://www.ampps.com/) stack (highly recommended for any test environment btw) definitely made it look worth pursuing further. If it turns out to be a go I'll eventually do a more permanent version running on a Linux server (probably Arch) and that will be that.

My RSS aggregator - my choice. D.I.Y. or Die! ;D
 
8)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on July 29, 2013, 04:28 PM
Oh well... I'm back to looking for a reader.  The Old Reader bites the dust (http://blog.theoldreader.com/post/56798895350/desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measures).
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on July 29, 2013, 08:57 PM
As I stated in a previous post, if you're looking for a hosted reader, I would recommend Bazqux (https://bazqux.com/). I've been using it since GR's demise, and it's working well.

But as the death of The Old Reader shows, there is likely to be a lot of volatility in the RSS reader market in the coming months, and as others have said, hosting your own is the most reliable option.

I had almost given up on finding a self-hosted option that I liked. Although I subscribed to Bazqux, I kept a lookout for new self-hosted options. A week or so ago, I came across Leed (http://projet.idleman.fr/leed/). It's the first self-hosted option that I've really enjoyed using. Certainly worth a try. I'm now using both Bazqux and Leed in parallel, and I'll do that for as long as it takes for one to stand out as the best option, although Leed has an automatic advantage because it's self-hosted.

Leed and the Leed web site are French, with no built-in translation, but one user has put together an English version (http://www.ademcan.net/index.php?d=2013/02/25/10/08/41-leed-your-web-based-open-source-rss-reader), and that's what I'm using.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I'm also testing another self-hosted option, Miniflux (http://miniflux.net/), which is promising (although it's a "river of news"-style reader rather than a folder-based reader)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on July 29, 2013, 10:43 PM
Miniflux only supports 5 feeds also it appears... unless I'm reading something wrong.

It looks like I'm deciding between bq and newsflux... unless something else comes along.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on July 30, 2013, 06:22 AM
Miniflux only supports 5 feeds also it appears... unless I'm reading something wrong.
-wraith808 (July 29, 2013, 10:43 PM)

Not sure where you got that? I'm using it on about 100 feeds without any issues.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on July 30, 2013, 08:57 AM
Miniflux only supports 5 feeds also it appears... unless I'm reading something wrong.
-wraith808 (July 29, 2013, 10:43 PM)

Not sure where you got that? I'm using it on about 100 feeds without any issues.
-johnk (July 30, 2013, 06:22 AM)

That's why I asked.  He said it only supports 5 feeds in parallel... then when someone asked if it would support 600 feeds (surely an arbitrary number) he came back with snark.  So I didn't really get an idea of what it *will* handle.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on July 30, 2013, 09:08 AM
That's why I asked.  He said it only supports 5 feeds in parallel... then when someone asked if it would support 600 feeds (surely an arbitrary number) he came back with snark.
-wraith808 (July 30, 2013, 08:57 AM)

The "5 feeds in parallel" refers to the method for refreshing feeds from the UI. I don't know what that means, to be honest, maybe someone else can chip in. I use a cron job to refresh feeds, which updates all feeds reliably.

Relevant quote: "Miniflux uses an Ajax request to refresh each subscription. By default, there is only 5 feeds updated in parallel."
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on July 30, 2013, 09:23 AM
Also relevant quote:

I have 600 subscriptions, can Miniflux handle that?

Your life is cluttered.

IMO, putting that into a FAQ makes it less clear.  Put down what it can handle, and leave the snark for other applications.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: kartal on July 30, 2013, 08:37 PM
I did end up subscribing to Bazqux. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided to follow my own advice that the only server you can really trust is the one you yourself control.

So now I'm experimenting with TinyTinyRSS, which looks really promising. The initial test running it on Softalicious' AMPPS (http://www.ampps.com/) stack (highly recommended for any test environment btw) definitely made it look worth pursuing further. If it turns out to be a go I'll eventually do a more permanent version running on a Linux server (probably Arch) and that will be that.

My RSS aggregator - my choice. D.I.Y. or Die! ;D
 
8)
-40hz (July 10, 2013, 08:46 AM)


TinyTinyRss rules. I highly highly recommend it. You can also use either the free or the paid android apps. I have been using it for over 2 years now. It is beautiful and awesomeness. Go for it.

Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Deozaan on July 31, 2013, 12:44 PM
Google Reader went away and I moved all my feeds to ... something else. I'm not even sure what. But it was a desktop application. And just like that I forgot to keep checking the feeds. And I don't miss it. It's nice not having so much stuff to catch up on every day. I guess I needed to simplify. :)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on July 31, 2013, 01:23 PM
Google Reader went away and I moved all my feeds to ... something else. I'm not even sure what. But it was a desktop application. And just like that I forgot to keep checking the feeds. And I don't miss it. It's nice not having so much stuff to catch up on every day. I guess I needed to simplify. :)
-Deozaan (July 31, 2013, 12:44 PM)

Yeah... I have a lot of feeds, but I don't use them often.  Other than a few categories.  The others, I just mark read most of the time.  But when I want to have something to read, it's nice that they're there.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: 40hz on July 31, 2013, 02:19 PM
Google Reader went away and I moved all my feeds to ... something else. I'm not even sure what. But it was a desktop application. And just like that I forgot to keep checking the feeds. And I don't miss it. It's nice not having so much stuff to catch up on every day. I guess I needed to simplify. :)
-Deozaan (July 31, 2013, 12:44 PM)

Yeah... I have a lot of feeds, but I don't use them often.  Other than a few categories.  The others, I just mark read most of the time.  But when I want to have something to read, it's nice that they're there.
-wraith808 (July 31, 2013, 01:23 PM)

Perusing a large number of feeds (or magazines or newspapers or other sources) shouldn't pose too big a problem if you exercise some discipline and learn to skim and cull out what is worth reading in full. This is something I learned from a newsperson when I was in college.  

At any point in time I'm actively monitoring a list of between 100 and 150 feeds. About a third of the feeds in this list change periodically depending on what I'm interested in staying on top of.

It doesn't take much to skim through them using the Sage extension in Firefox and mark the articles I want to read later. Anything I want to keep can be filed either in Scrapbook or online in my Pocket account.

Sage makes it extremely easy to rapidly skim tons of articles. The preview popup (see below) is especially useful for you to quickly determine what may deserve a closer look. In my case, maybe 60 articles (web articles tend to be short) actually get read in their entirety each day. That's about the contents of the front section of any major newspaper or a monthly magazine. I have a list of about another 50-100 articles that sit in a folder to be read when I'm traveling or looking for something to read. Most get deleted from the folder once I do.

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No need to fear the feed.  Just get the right tools and you can sift through a lot of articles panning for gold. As long as you don't let it get you too crazy it's very doable.
 :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Josh on July 31, 2013, 02:20 PM
Is there such a thing as a desktop reader that has a "mini web server" built in to host a web-based version of the feeds for accessing remotely? I could see use in something like this. I had many issues getting TinyTinyRSS to auto-refresh when I wasn't logged in, and in fact it still does not work. Something along these lines would be perfect!
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on July 31, 2013, 02:52 PM
At any point in time I'm actively monitoring a list of between 100 and 150 feeds. About a third of the feeds in this list change periodically depending on what I'm interested in staying on top of.

It doesn't take much to skim through them using the Sage extension in Firefox and mark the articles I want to read later. Anything I want to keep can be filed either in Scrapbook or online in my Pocket account.
-40hz (July 31, 2013, 02:19 PM)

1. What's scrapbook?

2. We need a thread where people suggest their favorite feeds/sites and why. :)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on July 31, 2013, 10:27 PM
...1. What's scrapbook?...
-wraith808 (July 31, 2013, 02:52 PM)
"Scrapbook" is an incredibly useful Firefox add-on used for capturing web pages in their entirety, or selected parts of them, or several nested webpages - including embedded files (as required). It has a built-in search/index. I think it is probably unique.
webpage: http://amb.vis.ne.jp/mozilla/scrapbook/?lang=en
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: kartal on August 01, 2013, 01:38 PM
Is there such a thing as a desktop reader that has a "mini web server" built in to host a web-based version of the feeds for accessing remotely? I could see use in something like this. I had many issues getting TinyTinyRSS to auto-refresh when I wasn't logged in, and in fact it still does not work. Something along these lines would be perfect!
-Josh (July 31, 2013, 02:20 PM)

You need to set a cron job type thing, it is in the ttrss wiki. It works when you set it up. TTrss does not do refreshing by its own.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on August 01, 2013, 04:31 PM
Is there such a thing as a desktop reader that has a "mini web server" built in to host a web-based version of the feeds for accessing remotely? I could see use in something like this. I had many issues getting TinyTinyRSS to auto-refresh when I wasn't logged in, and in fact it still does not work. Something along these lines would be perfect!
-Josh (July 31, 2013, 02:20 PM)

You need to set a cron job type thing, it is in the ttrss wiki. It works when you set it up. TTrss does not do refreshing by its own.
-kartal (August 01, 2013, 01:38 PM)

It actually does do it on its own while you have it open in the browser from my reading, i.e. from this link (http://tt-rss.org/redmine/projects/tt-rss/wiki/UpdatingFeeds):

Simple background updates (since 1.7.0)
If all else fails and you can't use any of the above methods, you can enable simple update mode where tt-rss will try to periodically update feeds while it is open in your web browser. Obviously, no updates will happen when tt-rss is not open or your computer is not running.

To enable this mode, set constant SIMPLE_UPDATE_MODE to true in config.php.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: Jibz on August 05, 2013, 02:46 AM
Looks like Feedly Pro (https://cloud.feedly.com/#pro) is up, $5 a month, and $99 lifetime for a limited period.
Title: The last word on Google Reader alternatives?
Post by: IainB on September 10, 2013, 12:15 PM
Take a look here at alternativeto.net: http://alternativeto.net/software/google-reader/
Then switch off the filters and press the "Show all applications" button/bar at the bottom of the list.
You're browsing Google Reader alternatives. There are 197 apps in this list.

I had not realised there were so many. It also shows the discontinued ones - e.g., including FeedDemon.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: wraith808 on September 10, 2013, 12:43 PM
Oh well... I'm back to looking for a reader.  The Old Reader bites the dust (http://blog.theoldreader.com/post/56798895350/desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measures).
-wraith808 (July 29, 2013, 04:28 PM)

The Old Reader is still going strong.

I have found that other than WebComics, since this whole Google Reader fiasco followed by The Old Reader being down, my consumption of online content has gone way down.  Even though the Old Reader has been stable since the scare, I haven't visited much... just to catch up on my web comics.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: phitsc on September 10, 2013, 03:14 PM
Another recommendation for https://bazqux.com/. After trying feedly I've switched to Bazqux and been really happy with it. I've had to switch from Reeder to Mr. Reader on the iPad, which is ok too. Still looking for a good Android client though.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: IainB on September 10, 2013, 05:47 PM
Another recommendation for https://bazqux.com/. ...
-phitsc (September 10, 2013, 03:14 PM)
^^ +1 from me. An excellent feedreader. Very fast.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: erikts on September 10, 2013, 08:53 PM
Another recommendation for https://bazqux.com/. ...
-phitsc (September 10, 2013, 03:14 PM)
^^ +1 from me. An excellent feedreader. Very fast.
-IainB (September 10, 2013, 05:47 PM)

+1

Still looking for a good Android client though.
-phitsc (September 10, 2013, 03:14 PM)

I use JustReader News - RSS (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.enacu.myreader).

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Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: johnk on September 11, 2013, 08:34 PM
Another recommendation for https://bazqux.com/. After trying feedly I've switched to Bazqux and been really happy with it. I've had to switch from Reeder to Mr. Reader on the iPad, which is ok too. Still looking for a good Android client though.
-phitsc (September 10, 2013, 03:14 PM)

Bazqux now supports the Fever API (http://blog.bazqux.com/2013/09/reeder-press-and-readkit-via-fever-api.html), which means you can use the excellent Press (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.twentyfivesquares.press&hl=en) reader on Android.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on September 12, 2013, 07:58 AM
Another recommendation for https://bazqux.com/. After trying feedly I've switched to Bazqux and been really happy with it. I've had to switch from Reeder to Mr. Reader on the iPad, which is ok too. Still looking for a good Android client though.
-phitsc (September 10, 2013, 03:14 PM)
How did you export your feeds from feedly to bazqux?  I couldn't find that info on feedly.  I'd like to give bazqux a try, but I'd rather export my current feedly feeds rather than try to use the old Google Reader xml file.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: phitsc on September 12, 2013, 08:06 AM
Another recommendation for https://bazqux.com/. After trying feedly I've switched to Bazqux and been really happy with it. I've had to switch from Reeder to Mr. Reader on the iPad, which is ok too. Still looking for a good Android client though.
-phitsc (September 10, 2013, 03:14 PM)
How did you export your feeds from feedly to bazqux?  I couldn't find that info on feedly.  I'd like to give bazqux a try, but I'd rather export my current feedly feeds rather than try to use the old Google Reader xml file.
-cyberdiva (September 12, 2013, 07:58 AM)

I think I didn't have to. IIRC I made the switch shortly before google reader was closed so bazqux could actually import my feeds directly from google. I think feedly still used google reader as a backend when I was using it, so everything was actually nicely in sync.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on September 12, 2013, 08:15 AM
Thanks, phitsc, for your quick reply.  I guess I'll just have to see what I can do with the old Google Reader xml file that I imported into feedly.  Or start with just a few feeds added manually and see how I like bazqux.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: cyberdiva on September 12, 2013, 08:17 AM
Oops, I just found how to export feedly's OPML file.  It's under Organize.  :)
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: phitsc on September 12, 2013, 08:20 AM
Oops, I just found how to export feedly's OPML file.  It's under Organize.  :)
-cyberdiva (September 12, 2013, 08:17 AM)
Ah excellent. Was just about to post this:

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/06/30/feedly-adds-opml-export/

which is all I found about exporting from feedly.
Title: Re: Google Reader gone
Post by: dr_andus on December 12, 2013, 05:03 PM
I agree Inoreader is one of the best of the new breed of RSS readers. But I am wary simply on the basis that it lacks a business model. At first it was a one-man project, with no charge to users, then recently it was adopted as a project by the company the creator works for. But there's still no concrete plan to charge, just the notion that it will be "freemium" at some stage.
-johnk (July 06, 2013, 01:37 PM)

InoReader has now released a payment plan:

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