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Google Reader, what's the fuss?

Like many people, I read of Google's plans to shutter their reader product with a mixture of sadness and disappointment.

I've also read a few opinion pieces such as Marco Arment's 'delight' at Reader's demise
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-second-spring-of-cleaning.html
(BTW, that's sarcasm. Marco has a great point)

Others have sat wailing because their favourite (free) RSS reader is disappearing.

My opinion is somewhere in between.

I rarely use the web interface of Google Reader. Occasionally, I go to clean out abandoned RSS feeds through the use of the last updated attribute.

For me, Google's reader was an invisible server which allowed me to choose any client which supported it on the Mac, Windows, iPad or iPhone, and that is what I'll miss. I have over 100 feeds I like to keep up to date with, and it's not easy to move from one client to another manually.

People offering web based alternatives are, on the whole, missing my usage. I don't need a web front end, I need something which will allow me to aggregate my feeds and keep them portable for different clients and platforms. I'm even willing to pay a nominal sum for the service.

I don't believe that I'm alone either.

So I really, really hope that there is enough demand that someone will offer this service for those of us that don't want to be tied to a web browser.


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