Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Web
  3. News

Google Reader set to die on July 1, and everyone’s freaking out

By
Google Reader
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google will summarily execute its beloved but underused RSS service, Google Reader, on July 1, the company announced Wednesday. Users will be able to export their subscriptions and other data for use in another RSS reader using Google Takeout – as if that makes this wretched news sting any less.

Google software engineer Alan Green, who worked on the Reader development team, explains in a blog post that there are “two simple reasons” for Google killing off Reader: “usage of Google Reader has declined, and as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products.” Green says better “focus” at Google will lead to “a better user experience.” Unless you are an avid Google Reader user, of course, in which case you can just go screw yourself.

Recommended Videos

The first question is: Is life worth living now that Reader’s come to the end of the road? (Probably.) The second question is: Which RSS reader should I use now? As for that, there’s really no good answer. Some say check out Newsblur, others point to Feedly. You could even try The Old Reader, which is a Google Reader clone. But if you’re a fan of Google Reader, whatever you choose will feel like a sham – a Band-Aid over your punctured, blood-spewing heart.

Related

On Twitter, many users are freaking the hell out over the imminent demise of treasured Google Reader.

In addition to axing Reader, Google plans to kill off about seven other products, most of which the average Web user has never heard of, and thus could care less if they die.

So here’s to you, Google Reader. You will be missed (until something better comes along, and then we will forget Google Reader ever existed.)

Editors’ Recommendations

Andrew Couts
Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
How to change margins in Google Docs
Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content --- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Read more
What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Read more
Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs
A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.

Read more