I got a email last night from Heather at Life is a garden, …telling me that Google Reader is shutting down on July 1st.
Now if you don’t read all of your 250+ blogs in Google Reader this isn’t going to keep you up at night…but if you do it’s a worrisome moment.
What on earth would replace Google Reader, and how is it going to affect me?
Well I have a short answer for myself, and maybe you also…. it’s Bloglovin.
I have signed up, it’s free [I think] and now if you would like to follow me on Bloglovin it’s really easy to do…there is a button on my sidebar.
I love the way the layout shows a image from the blog post…I’m very visual so this makes me happy. And it’s blog oriented, so I can follow all of your blogs just like before. I can group my blogs into categories, and it’s easy to scroll through them.
It’s not Google Reader, but then again, what is?
Change is good, I guess, and I can import all of my files to Bloglovin….they make it easy to do…so if you are wondering where to go after Google reader shuts down, think about Bloglovin. Or if you have a better solution, please let me know.
Here’s the link to the tutorials on how to do it.
Speaking of change, does anyone else really dislike the new Pinterest layout? If you have a verified blog you can lead early by changing to the new Pinterest layout…I am so not loving it, I changed back, for now. I love the analytics parts of it, but not the layout. It’s too narrow, they have changed the display size, and the colors look off… Any comments? Or is this just me?
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Okay... I've switched, thanks to you with your pin, which I have repinned BTW... but now I will email you because it's too long to say here. Great post to bring awareness and sweet pic! Cheers~
ReplyDeleteThanks for the up date . I will have to get Papa to look into it as he is the internet computer techno geek lol ! Me I am still learning lol a bit slow lol ! Lovely photo . Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteDrat! Here I am moseying along at my own pace reading my favorite gals and not saying much. Thank goodness you keep me up on the real world. As for Pinterest, I grabbed my usual three or four (make that thirty) pins this morning and didn’t notice anything different ~ maybe Boo and I will stay on the old clocks and Pinterest will let us be...one change at a time.
ReplyDeleteOh I am going to check this out darn Google keeps cancelling things when you get used to them. Thanks for the tip. B
ReplyDeleteI was quite cranky and in a panic last night looking for an alternative. Your post this morning was perfect. I'll look into Bloglovin.
ReplyDeleteBlogger better not close up shop, too.
Tech idiot that I am, I have no idea if I'm on Google reader or not, although I suspect that I am. Thanks for the info - I'll definitely make other arrangements. I don't want to lose track of my peeps!!
ReplyDeleteOkay I must live in a cave because I didn't know about google and Pinterest looks the same to me. What is wrong with me?
ReplyDeleteMeredith
I'm just writing a post about garden resources, and here you have answered the question I was asking at the end of the post. You must have second sight and know what I'm thinking before I post it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about Google reader, but then again I don't use it very much. I'll check out the site you mentioned.
I was wondering what I was going to do after getting the message about "reader," so I'm thankful for your info today. I'll be looking into it too.
ReplyDeleteI thing I have usually adjusted ok to "change.". But it might shake me up a bit to not have my Google Reader.
ReplyDeleteI will take your word . . . and make a change too.
I will need "Button" help though! This could get much too lengthy and TMI, I too will email . . . I need HELP!
I made the change, and I already LOVE it. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea either if I'm using Google reader...not even sure what it is. And I've heard about Pinterest, but never got around to checking it out. I already consider too much of my time spent sitting at a computer, I sure don't need any more places to get hung up on! :) Thanks for the updates though! :)
ReplyDeleteI have been wondering what to do since I got the message yesterday. I am checking out Feedly, but I'll take a look at Bloglovin on your recommendation. As to Pinterest's new look - haven't seen that yet.
ReplyDeleteWhy, oh why, do "they" keep changing things that seem to be working just fine?
Thanks for the advice and update. I switched to the new Pinterest. I like the bigger photos but still am not sure about the rest. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteJudy
I joined Bloglovin a while back but haven't used it much. Maybe I need to start. I'm not a big fan of the new Pinterest layout either. I opted to stick with the old until they iron out all the wrinkles.
ReplyDeleteI've never used Google Reader so switching to Bloglovin doesn't really affect me. But I don't do Pinterest either. Some days it's all I can do to stay on top of my grading. :o)
ReplyDeleteI saw this posted elsewhere. I will bookmark the site you mentioned. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteOK. I had to read all the comments to see what everyone else thought about this Google reader thing. I don't think I use it. Duh! I really don't know. I read the blogposts as they come up on my favourites side bar. Is the the same thing? I somehow don't think it is. I sure wouldn't want to lose that. So, can you please verify it Jen? I wish things would stay the same. I guess I'm getting old and am not techno savvy at all. Thanks for the tip on the new ling to use just in case I need to use it. Pam
ReplyDeleteI was quite shocked when I read in the news this morning that Google Reader was disappearing. I was never an avid user, but was starting to get used to using it, as Blotanical has sort of fallen by the wayside in recent months. I'll definitely give Bloglovin' a look though. I need some way to keep track of everything. I certainly can't rely on just my memory! ;)
ReplyDeleteSo I have signed on to Bloglovin. A while back I signed up to buy more space on Google. Now what. Can't tell you if I use Google Reader or not. And seeing that some of your other followers don't know either. I am hoping that you enlighten us. I love my blog and I don't want to have to change (ie. learn more). Now, I have to go check out to see if I have noticed changes on Pinterest. I read it on my iPad and it looks differently on the iPad. More work do. Thanks for the nudge to move forward.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that I just follow people the good-old fashioned blogger way. It is so much simpler- xo Diana
ReplyDeleteThanks for turning me on to this reader....
ReplyDeleteAs far as I understand, Google Reader is a subscription service for RSS feeds from blogs, very similar to what you have on your sidebar from Blogger. Some bloggers like to read a blog, but not have it on their sidebar, this is helpful if you read a lot of blogs, like I do...over 250, I don't have room on my sidebar for all of them.
ReplyDeleteYou can subscribe to a blog, using GR, and whenever a new post is published it shows up in your GR, and it also tells you how many posts are unread. Google Reader lets you organize your blogs into groups, lets say cooking, friends, personal blogs...what ever you choose. It makes it very easy to read blogs, since you can choose to read them in Google Reader, or go directly to the blog if you wish.
Because Google feels that GR is waning in popularity, they are dropping it, lets just say the Internet community is astounded, and upset.
Bloglovin also allows you to organize your blogs into categories, and you have the choice to read them directly, or through Bloglovin. It's easy to subscribe to a new blog, just look up the URL in their search box, and click on follow. You can follow blogs publicly, or privately, and it's just as easy to unfollow a blog, something I couldn't do easily in GR.
Bloglovin captures a large image from each blog post, along with some of the text, which makes it easy to scroll through your feeds when you are searching for new posts from your favorite bloggers.
Change is not always something we look forward to, but so far for me Bloglovin is working out great.
Jen
Two hundred, two hundred and fifty blogs ~ it boggles the mind, Jen. You ARE a wonder woman!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. As a technophobe, I've been wondering what to do about losing Google Reader.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually not too upset about the Google Reader being discontinued as I found it frustrating that I wasn't able to unsubscribe blogs I was no longer reader, or were inactive, when I wanted to. A good chance now to get my list updated, as i'd like it to be.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why Google decided to discontinue this service?
Beautiful photo Jen. :<)
Jen, Do you know what's happened to the "reaction" buttons at the bottom of Blogger posts? I just wrote a new review over at My Real Life Reviews and the reaction option isn't there anymore. Maybe another thing Google is scrapping?
ReplyDeleteI had heard this was in the works months ago but when nothing happened, I removed my Bloglover sign up link. Obviously have to reinstate it and get everything transferred. Like we don't have better things to do Google?! As for Pinterest, meh, I think it is too busy with the bigger pictures. They've done the same on Etsy with the 'Activity Feed', I find it hard to concentrate on any one image when they are all so LOUD :O) But they will change things regardless of what we think or feel so I'm trying to roll with the punches! Thanks for the heads up Jen.
ReplyDeleteHi Jen. This is aggravating news but thanks for providing a tutorial on changing to Bloglovin. I will mark this post and deal with it after Finger-gate is over. This week has fried my brain and therefore cannot follow even simple instructions. LOL. Ann
ReplyDeleteI am so old fashioned lol...I have always just bookmarked sites ( so I have sites at home and sites at work for lunch hour break ) THEN now at home I have IE sites and new Chrome sites...but still all bookmarked. I will check out Bloglovin but now that I see alot of people concerned about Google Reader I think that being old fashioned had its advantages ! Another word for that is, of course, TECHNICAL IDIOT !:) yep that's me : )
ReplyDeletethinking of Feedly, but I will look at your choice too. (You can Unsubscribe on GR but it's too late now!)
ReplyDeletehmm, been hearing rumblings that Feedburner will be shut down soon too. I hate the constant changes and upgrades that go on with the internet. I feel like every time I get things worked out I have to then learn a whole new system.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I read in the Blogger Reader..I hardly ever use Google Reader..I have lots of blogs bookmarked. Too bad they just can't leave things alone:(
ReplyDeletethanks for this suggestion, I'm going to give it a try. now's my chance to 'clean up' my reader file!
ReplyDeletesending healing thoughts your way Jen, take care, G