Wednesday 26 June 2013

Just a Reminder ~ Google Reader is going


If you use Google Reader to stay up to date with the blogs you read, then I'm sure you are aware that you will no longer be able to use it after July 1, 2013, as Google will be discontinuing this popular reader. If, like me, you are continuing to use Google Reader right till the end, then you'll be presented with the message above, each time you log in. Don't forget to click on learn more, to see how to backup your Google Reader data. You may, or may not need the backup file, depending on the option you choose, but better to be safe than sorry.

I love the fact that you guys read my posts!!! That's why I blog. I enjoy the interaction... much better than talking to myself. And I'd hate anyone not to be able to find me after July 1, so here's a few ways you can continue to read Threading My Way.

Contrary to rumours that were going around, you and I don't have to follow blogs the same way. We all follow blogs in different ways now and that will continue after Google Reader disappears in a few days. 

If you don't use Google Reader now, then it appears you don't need to do anything. Keep doing what you're doing now.

Google have said the Blogger Reading List will continue as is. This is the reading list you see under your blog list when you log in. It is, as the name suggests, a list of the blogs you are following, either by GFC or ones you have added manually (up to a limit of 300, I believe).

To the best of my knowledge, the blogs can't be sorted into folders or groups. When you join a site via GFC, that blog is automatically added to the Reading List. Google have also said that GFC will remain for now. 

Bloglovin is very popular with sewing and crafting bloggers. By giving Bloglovin permission to access and manage your data in Google Reader, you can import all your blogs from one to the other.Follow on Bloglovin
Ros, from Sew Delicious has been using Bloglovin for over a year. You can read her thoughts here and  you can follow Threading My Way here.

Email is another option. If you Subscribe to Threading My Way by email, you will receive one email each day I post. If you choose this option, don't forget to activate your subscription, by replying to the verification message that Feedburner sends.

Netvibes is an alternative I'm trying. To migrate from Google Reader to Netvibes, you will need the Google Reader backup file I mentioned at the beginning of the post. It's very easy to import all your RSS feeds from Google Reader. Netvibes can be configured to have a layout similar to Google Reader and that appeals to me, but I'm not sold yet.

The other option I'm playing with, is adding blogs to my email program. This is different to subscribing by email. It's simply a matter of adding each blog's RSS feed to Apple's Mail (my email program) and then sorting them into folders as I did in Google Reader. Unfortunately this has to be done manually, one at a time; quite time consuming. The RSS feeds are in separate folders to my emails, so it's all neat and orderly. If it can be done with Apple Mail, it can most probably be done with the PC equivalent. If anyone would like more detailed instructions on how to do this, let me know.

In the short term, I'll probably use a combination of Apple Mail and Netvibes, using Apple Mail for the blogs I regularly read and Netvibes for the ones I pop in to see from time to time. The big advantage, for me, with using my email program, is that I have it open all the time and I don't have to log in to yet another thing.

You can also stay in touch with Threading My Way via:

Links to all of my blog posts are added to Facebook, along with a little behind the scenes banter and links to giveaways I come across.
I am on Twitter, but I'm afraid I'm not very good at using it. I do try to tweet most of my blog posts, but it doesn't always happen. 
Google+Reluctantly, I have just joined Google+, mainly in the hopes that a Google Reader replacement will emerge there. Give me time and I'll get the hang of it.
I spend much time on Pinterest, adding to my ever growing To Do list. I pin photos of many of my projects, but not all.
A link to various web based RSS feed readers, to which you can subscribe and follow Threading My Way.
Over on Flickr, you can add photos of projects you have made using Threading My Way tutorials.

There are LOTS of other ways to stay up to date with the blogs you read. The following links will show you some more alternatives:

I'd love to hear how you stay up to date with the blogs you read. As you can see, I'm not 100% sure what I'll be doing, so I'm very open to suggestions.

... Pam

3 comments:

  1. Great post! I have been wondering about the reading list what was going to happen with it. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would hate to lose you Pam! I am using Bloglovin now and find it suits me very well.

    ReplyDelete

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