I don't often have to use Google Reader for the blogs I follow, I check out the summaries on the Blogger dashboard, and go on over to the ones that catch my attention. But I do use it to organize my subscriptions, to remove those I'm no more following, or those who aren't blogging anymore. Also, if I'm only with my phone, I default to GR than doing blog rounds. So imagine my surprise when Google said they were shutting it down because not enough people were using it and it didn't make financial sense to keep it. The announcement from Google read;
We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months.
I'm not happy about this development because I know a lot of us here in blogsville use Google reader to follow blogs we love. I still follow about 600 blogs, and have more than 2000 followers on the Google Friend Connect, many of whom I'm sure read my posts on their GR. BTW, the Google Friend Connect has also been rested and I guess it may be time to take it down, no matter how much I like those numbers. Feedburner too may be on the way out.
