Google Reader adds better email features

Uncategorized 1 Minute

Ahhh, fun, the Google Reader team linked to my link blog while making the point that they have new email features for those of you who don’t read feeds at all.

Published by Robert Scoble

I help entrepreneurs build their technology business' story, help with getting ready for investors, with other launch plans, and many other strategic things that can help your new startup. Call to talk: +1-425-205-1921 (text first).

Published

24 thoughts on “Google Reader adds better email features”

  1. I still love Google Reader, but they haven’t done much to address the issues we mentioned in March. Though one of the key developers said he and the Ph.D’s were meeting to address issues like duplicate feeds, customization, link blog directories, and simplified access to trends, none of those are here yet.

    Glad they dig your link blog though. It’s pretty dang solid.

    Like

  2. I still love Google Reader, but they haven’t done much to address the issues we mentioned in March. Though one of the key developers said he and the Ph.D’s were meeting to address issues like duplicate feeds, customization, link blog directories, and simplified access to trends, none of those are here yet.

    Glad they dig your link blog though. It’s pretty dang solid.

    Like

  3. It’s nicely done but… unfortunately, it isn’t much use if you don’t use Gmail. It doesn’t honor the custom reply-to address from Gmail, so any responses go back to an account I don’t use (766 spam messages this week).

    Like

  4. It’s nicely done but… unfortunately, it isn’t much use if you don’t use Gmail. It doesn’t honor the custom reply-to address from Gmail, so any responses go back to an account I don’t use (766 spam messages this week).

    Like

  7. I think that “hide this items” features must be very useful, it would allow me not to see some items again. But could not found this features on any feed readers.

    Like

  8. I think that “hide this items” features must be very useful, it would allow me not to see some items again. But could not found this features on any feed readers.

    Like

  9. It’s nice, but I don’t see that much use of it – feeds are a passive medium, so everyone can read whatever he wants, or just unsubscribe whenever he wants. Emails are more active, so I force something I think is good onto someone else.
    It’s still a nice feature and just makes it easier to email an article you really want to show someone, but instead of using the original article directly you will now show someone the google reader entry – not a bad move for google I guess.

    @TanNg: a “hide this item” feature would really be nice, never thought about that. Atm I use staring and sharing to find good articles again (and a customized google search for my feeds).

    Cheers
    Frank

    Like

  10. It’s nice, but I don’t see that much use of it – feeds are a passive medium, so everyone can read whatever he wants, or just unsubscribe whenever he wants. Emails are more active, so I force something I think is good onto someone else.
    It’s still a nice feature and just makes it easier to email an article you really want to show someone, but instead of using the original article directly you will now show someone the google reader entry – not a bad move for google I guess.

    @TanNg: a “hide this item” feature would really be nice, never thought about that. Atm I use staring and sharing to find good articles again (and a customized google search for my feeds).

    Cheers
    Frank

    Like

  13. Unfortunately, they broke some of its usability.

    Before the changes, when I clicked on a post or when I used J, it used to automatically mark the post as read.

    Now, I have to click “read” or use the M key. So, instead of J, J, J,… it’s J, M, J, M, J, M,… It’s twice the number of keystokes to do the same thing I used to do.

    I liked this feature, because sometime, I skip some posts I want to read later. Now, the less annoying way, it to do J,J,J… then “mark all as read”. But I lose some features.

    Like

  14. Unfortunately, they broke some of its usability.

    Before the changes, when I clicked on a post or when I used J, it used to automatically mark the post as read.

    Now, I have to click “read” or use the M key. So, instead of J, J, J,… it’s J, M, J, M, J, M,… It’s twice the number of keystokes to do the same thing I used to do.

    I liked this feature, because sometime, I skip some posts I want to read later. Now, the less annoying way, it to do J,J,J… then “mark all as read”. But I lose some features.

    Like

  15. Hi Jerome,

    Can you make sure that the checkbox “In expanded view, mark items as when you scroll past them.” in the “Preferences” tab of settings checked?

    Mihai Parparita
    Google Reader Engineer

    Like

  16. Hi Jerome,

    Can you make sure that the checkbox “In expanded view, mark items as when you scroll past them.” in the “Preferences” tab of settings checked?

    Mihai Parparita
    Google Reader Engineer

    Like

  17. I’ve never really subscribed (forgive the pun) to the idea that feed readers do much for me. I’ve tried quite a few of them and never really found the idea a keeper.

    In my mind, there is something to be said for actually visiting a site and reading a bit of news.
    I read about 12-15 blogs a day and I visit each site in turn, some of them many times a day.

    Since I’m not up on the exact technology, do feeds take away from “hits” on a given website, or are they somehow counted?

    Like

  18. I’ve never really subscribed (forgive the pun) to the idea that feed readers do much for me. I’ve tried quite a few of them and never really found the idea a keeper.

    In my mind, there is something to be said for actually visiting a site and reading a bit of news.
    I read about 12-15 blogs a day and I visit each site in turn, some of them many times a day.

    Since I’m not up on the exact technology, do feeds take away from “hits” on a given website, or are they somehow counted?

    Like

  19. Google Reader needs keyword alerts (which is the primary way I’d prefer to read blogs to get more points of view on subjects I care about.

    Like

  20. Google Reader needs keyword alerts (which is the primary way I’d prefer to read blogs to get more points of view on subjects I care about.

    Like

  21. Mihai,

    thanks for your comment, but it is not what I am talking about. I don’t want the items marked as I scoll past them. I never had that feature enabled. Well, I had it for like a minute and hated it.

    I’ve been to Google Reader’s group and it seems it is a “bug” you corrected. I, as many people, found it was a very usable feature.

    This way, you can click on posts and mark them read (or use “j”). But, you can also scroll back to past posts you found interesting without marking the unread items read.

    The results simply doubles the number of clicks or keystrokes to do the same thing as before.

    If you think it was a bug (I disagree), you could ad an option “mark item read on focus”.

    Like

  22. Mihai,

    thanks for your comment, but it is not what I am talking about. I don’t want the items marked as I scoll past them. I never had that feature enabled. Well, I had it for like a minute and hated it.

    I’ve been to Google Reader’s group and it seems it is a “bug” you corrected. I, as many people, found it was a very usable feature.

    This way, you can click on posts and mark them read (or use “j”). But, you can also scroll back to past posts you found interesting without marking the unread items read.

    The results simply doubles the number of clicks or keystrokes to do the same thing as before.

    If you think it was a bug (I disagree), you could ad an option “mark item read on focus”.

    Like

Comments are closed.