Is RSS Dead? Bloglines to Close on October 1

I recently started using MyYahoo as a reader and am bummed RSS is going away!

I never used Bloglines, but started with Yahoo. The Google reader is such a better service. I recently added feedburner to my blog and was surprised at the number of readers who signed up right away.

With Twitter, you miss so much because people pop in and pop out. I tend to think people haven't Tweeted in days and then I realize I wasn't around. On top of it, tweeting your new post too many times will set you back followers.

On the other hand, when I'm not talking to other bloggers or tech junkies -- a lot of people have no idea what a reader or RSS is.

There's plenty of room for RSS growth within web 2.0.

I don't like the setup of Google reader. I use FeedReader and I do use RSS feeds regularly.

I don't think it's dead at all. I'm with everyone else on this feed. It's bloglines that is dead.

yes, this is exactly why I prefer Google Reader- if I were to get all my feeds via Facebook, I'd be scrolling through page after page of updates trying to find them all.

I use Google Reader every day because it allows me to categorize things and find what I need write away. Twitter, Facebook, and Stumbleupon have their benefits, too, but - with RSS - you are more likely to get something substantial (a blog post) without having to wade through twitter posts that don't relate to the subject.

These "RSS is dead" pronouncements drive me crazy. No way. I love my reader. I've been using Google Reader for about 8 months now (switched from Bloglines) and I'm really impressed with all the extra little functionality and sharing.

Twitter and Facebook are great "real-time" tools, but my reader saves everything, I can do a quick scan of the headlines, and read what I want.

Never giving up my Google Reader :)

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RSS isn't dead...it's just under the hood. We (Alltop.com) use 40,000 RSS feeds. Many people use Twitterfeed to push out interesting tweets from blogs. Someday Paper.li and Flipboard will embrace RSS feeds too.

The great thing about RSS is that you know what you're getting. For example, if you get the RSS feed from the New York Times, you can depend on the quality in the feed. If you depend on what the hundreds (or thousands) of people you follo are tweeting, there is no such assurance.

Guy

I check my RSS feeds selfishly, when I'm about to post, looking for related content so I can get my links out. And then I end up finding stuff I want to read. But my default content grabs happen on Facebook. It gets unwieldy, but it's where all the people, places and things I"m interested in clump up.

Liz @ Go With Family

My latest theory is that people who like feed readers are also the type who tend to like it quiet while they're thinking/working. And those who like to read their posts from Twitter are those who always like background noise. Is this theory holding up?

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I use Google Reader almost every day. It's like a magazine... I categorize my feeds by subject and read an article here or there depending on my mood. I like being able to pick and choose what I like, and bookmark my favorites for inspiration later. I also like the ability to subscribe to what some of my favorite bloggers are reading, so I get a "recommended reads" type thing.

In contrast, I have a difficult time keeping up with Twitter. It still feels too chaotic to be useful.

Because Google Reader is a beautiful, beautiful thing :-)

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

Never used Bloglines, but I LOVE my Google Reader! : )

That's a possible reason -- they certainly didn't keep up the work to make it a successful site.

It's sort of like saying that sinks are dead just because dishwashers were invented. Do people enjoy dishwashers -- certainly. But there are still plenty of things we hand wash, soak, etc.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

Do you think it's because there are fewer links overall on FB than Twitter?

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I have no idea why people would say a feed reader is dead. I can't see how twitter, facebook and stumbleupon even remotely are close to a feed reader.

I use google reader even though it sucks.

Why did Ask bother to purchase bloglines if they were just going to retire it? where they just getting rid of a possible competitor for their site?

Love, Minnie

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Echoing much of the same: I use Google Reader.

However, I also read a LOT of blogs via Facebook and the Networked Blogs app (when it's working properly). If someone links to a blog post on FB, I'm likely going to click. I click more on FB than I do on twitter.

Contributing Editor Jenna Hatfield (@FireMom ( http://twitter.com/FireMom )) blogs at Stop, Drop and Blog ( http://stopdropandblog.com ) and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land ( http://thechroniclesofmunchkinland.com ). She is a freelance writer and newspaper photographer.

Learned about two weeks ago that you can arrange Google Reader into folders so have one labeled Clicker and one labeled All Others. I set apart my food blogs from all other blogs because if something has to give, I'm more likely to hit read-all with the food blogs and start over again.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

And, I have to admit, if I know I have their blog in my reader, I often don't bother clicking on it from Twitter. I want to read blogs when I'm ready to read blogs -- not when other people necessarily post the link.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I use Bloglines as a secondary feed reader, for my clicking duties. I use Google Reader as my main source and I would be totally lost without it! I rarely get blogs from social media sites.

I have to say that once you get accustomed to it, Google Reader is just a better, streamlined product.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

If I didn't have Google Reader there's no way I could keep up with the number of sites I subscribe to. I occasionally click over from Twitter but I subscribe to such a massive number of sites, I couldn't possibly wait for someone to post that link on Twitter (and for me to actually be on Twitter when they post it).

I need my Google Reader.

Marilyn @ A Lot of Loves ( http://www.blogher.com/www.alotofloves.com )

but I switched to Google Reader when I heard about Bloglines shutting down. I read a lot of blogs and would never keep up with all the new posts, even with my somewhat addictive use of Twitter. I would have to be on 24-7 to catch even 1/4 of the posts I get thru an RSS feed. With over 130 blogs in my reader, clicking individual blogs every day would take forever.

And it's sort of strange -- they had a good product with early adopters: why didn't they work at staying competitive?

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I think you've hit on it right here. RSS is not dead-- look at how many just in these replies use Google Reader (myself included). Sounds to me like Bloglines is just making excuses for not staying competitive.

It sounds like we have very similar reading habits.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

Sometimes, when I see it come up on FB, I don't click, knowing that I have a copy in my feed reader and I'd rather do one thing at a time (read status updates, read blog posts, etc).

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I've always found it to be temperamental, and when it was down, people couldn't access the blogroll. I switched off the software after a while because it didn't make sense to use a site that was so often inaccessible.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

Google reader.
I use Facebook but most bloggers don't.
I'm on Twitter but I hate it.
I'll click on links occasionally from Twitter but mostly I rely on Google reader to pool the posts I'll enjoy.

I gave up on Bloglines a couple of years ago because their downtime was getting to be a big problem. I switched to Google Reader, which I absolutely love and use every day - especially the sharing feature.

The only thing that's made me pare down my feed reader usage is the fact that many of my Facebook friends publish their feeds there, which means I see them on Facebook first.

Celeste Lindell
averagejane.blogs.com ( http://averagejane.blogs.com )

Seriously, Bloglines closing says nothing about RSS - Which is an interesting topic in itself. But Bloglines closing has nothing to do with it. I thought everyone left when it wasn't working consistently and they announced they were no longer doing any maintenance. And that was years ago, wasn't it?

Liz Rizzo ( http://blogher.org/blog/liz-rizzo )

I blog at Everyday Goddess ( http://everydaygoddess.typepad.com/ ).

That's an interesting take. For me, switching to the Reader meant I commented MORE because I now wasn't using time opening and closing random blogs to see who had updated. I knew when a new post was there and could click over to read/comment.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I was waiting for your thoughts -- I was certain they'd be more accurate than Techcrunch.

And don't lose the stirrup pants and sweater -- it's just a myth that it went out of style :-)

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

that I'd chime in to say I use Google Reader and don't think RSS is dead.

I love this bit: "stirrup pants and an oversized Forenza sweater".

Are you commenting on my outfit?

Virginia DeBolt
Web Teacher ( http://www.webteacher.ws/ ) | First 50 Words ( http://first50.wordpress.com )

I don't know what the current stat is but a few years ago there was a study that reported only about 12% of blog readers used feed readers. I attributed it (and still do) to the fact that to leave a comment, you have to read on the blog. I wouldn't be surprised if the percentage is the same (or less) now, due to all the technologies being mentioned here -- Facebook, Twitter, aggregrators etc. Of course the absolute number will be more because more folks are reading blogs, but the point is same -- I don't think feed readers have ever been very popular because they don't support conversation.

I think a feed reader is still useful for people who scan lots and lots of feeds and aren't planning to comment. There are just way better ones out there than Bloglines. Its user base was early adopters, and early adopters are also early abandoners.

There are also better tools for large scale monitoring (Radian6, Sysomos etc.) which was one of the ways companies often used feed readers a few years ago.

Just my .02

Susan Getgood blogs at Marketing Roadmaps ( http://getgood.com/roadmaps ), Snapshot Chronicles ( http://snapshotchronicles.com ) and Snapshot Chronicles Roadtrip ( http://snapshotchronicles.com/roadtrip ).

I'm sorry, I don't understand -- experimented with an RSS feed on your blog, or subscribing to other RSS feeds?

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

On that note, do you think feed readers truly are less useful than they were before? When they were the biggest ship on the Internet sea, they were used more, and now that there are other big boats to choose from, they are used less. But is used less the same as less useful? I'd love to get your thoughts as someone whose opinion I respect about online trends.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I use google reader simply because I was exploring other options in google such as google docs/reader. I have never experimented with RSS feed as I get enough junk mail. I use FACEBOOK also.

I think you'd need to leave Twitter up all day in order to have it truly deliver a slice of your particular community in terms of blogs. And that's brilliant to have the feeds come into Outlook.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

Feed readers may be less useful than they were before, but RSS as a technology drives far more than feed readers. Apps, content aggregators, widgets, podcasts. All these things use the RSS technology to deliver content.

Susan Getgood blogs at Marketing Roadmaps ( http://getgood.com/roadmaps ), Snapshot Chronicles ( http://snapshotchronicles.com ) and Snapshot Chronicles Roadtrip ( http://snapshotchronicles.com/roadtrip ).

I'm not as hooked on Twitter as a lot of people are. I have to remember to log in, and I haven't really found a good reason to send tweets myself, at least yet.

I do subscribe to RSS feeds. They come into the same place my email does -- Outlook. I find this a convenient way to keep up with blogs I follow.

The one social media site that has cut into this for me is Facebook, where I'm friends (or fans of) people/organizations whose blogs I read.

I agree with the "for now." But I think it would be because something even better has come around; not something completely different.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I use Google Reader and can't imagine my life without it (for now).

----

Vered DeLeeuw

Blogger for Hire ( http://momgrind.com/hire-me/ ) and Social Media Consultant ( http://www.socialmediamarketingexpert.net/ )

That is true too -- I often do get behind. But then I will set aside the time to catch up. It's pretty rare that I have to declare blog-reading bankruptcy.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I am soooooo far behind in reading the blogs in my reader that yeah, I do tend to read blogs because someone linked to them in my Twitter feed or on Facebook.

That's true -- though there are a few people that I go back to read from time to time. I wish there was an RSS feed for Twitter :-) There probably is, but I have no idea how to add it.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I absolutely agree -- my feed reader is my door into my community.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

When I follow someone, I want to read (or at least know about) every post s/he writes. That may not happen with FB or Twitter, which I'm on a lot, because I don't go back through the part of the stream during which I'm offline.

I think you're right that it was Bloglines that was a dinosaur, not the entire RSS concept.

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RSS is so not dead. It's a vital tool for anyone who uses the web to connect with other people and/or find out what's going on in the world. Without my Google Reader set up I wouldn't be able to keep up with the blogs in my genre and our little community. My advocacy work would be greatly hindered without it considering how much I learn about by going through my feeds. They're just sad they couldn't make their reader successful, I think.

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That's how I feel too. I sometimes am wary about clicking over if I don't know where the link will lead.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).