GRRRRRRR! what a sucker punch!

Posted by in 2.0, aggregators, Education, Feeds, RSS

Dear Google,

What a sucker punch! Yes, please know that it was quite a shock to read today that Google Reader will be shut down in July. This has been probably my MOST USED 2.0 tool.

From the Google Blog (one of my feeds in Google Reader, no less!)

Screen shot 2013-03-13 at 9.01.14 PM

You just don’t realize how many teachers I was able to pull over to a 2.0 way of thinking by spending a little time showing off Google Reader and what it could do. This was true for friends, colleagues, and well yes, even students. Sigh. So okay, I’m now reading/exploring my options. My reader is full of suggestions, which is great–and okay, yes I have to thank you for letting Google Reader deliver that news to me today. This one tool truly transformed my teaching practice, impacting me in many ways.  When I ignored other aggregation tools, I stayed faithful to this one.

Google, I felt shattered by this announcement.

 

Funny because it wasn’t that long ago (back in July) that I was sharing about iGoogle going by the wayside, and offering alternatives too my readers then. I should have seen the writing on the wall, no?  Now I wonder how many other of the G-Apps I use are considered for an early demise? I think I could have handled this better had there been some rumors from my own PLN so I already had a heads up.  This just feels like a sucker punch.

 

Jury is still out on what I’ll use. Today I’m checking out Feedly at the recommendation of friends Diane Cordell and Vicki Davis. And Feedly connected with my existing Google Reader feeds and has assured me it has my back when GR goes away, I’ll still have my feeds.  Thanks Feedly. Right now you are the front -runner for my new feed service. I may never say GR again.  Grrrrrrrrr.

 

Please, Google if there are more plans like this, give a little indication and seek feedback from users. I think it will soften the blow if I have already heard it before the actual official announcement.

 

Related articles to check out:

C|Net discusses five worthy alternatives

Transitioning to Feedly (from Feedly)

C|Net G closes the book on GR

 

Picture attributions:

  • Shattered By Cayusa Licensed Creative Commons (with some rights reserved) on the date of use. 
  • Screenshot from The Google Blog today.