There are so many RSS Feed Readers available, that it’s hard to pick one. How do you know which one to choose? Well for me, I just picked one. Didn’t research it one bit. Looking back, maybe I just got lucky, ’cause I like the Reader that I use.
Now, a few months ago I wrote an article titled Don’t Assume; You Know the Old Saying… This article offers a great explanation to what RSS Feed is to all of you that don’t know. (And trust me, there are still a whole lot of people out there who don’t know; you’re not alone!)
Back to the subject at hand…
I use Google Feed Reader. I picked it solely because it was Google, so I figured that it had to be one of the best. The Google Feed Reader works well for me on so many levels.
First off all, it counts the number of unread articles that I have in my “in box”. I try to keep it under 100, but sometimes that’s a challenge. Right now I have a bit of catching up to do, as I have 222 new articles!
Secondly, there’s a nifty little bar on the left-hand side that lists out all of the websites and the number of unread articles I have from each particular site. This way I can easily and effortlessly choose and prioritize the order in which I want o check out my favorite bloggers.
In addition to breaking out articles by site, with the Google Feed Reader, I have the option of “starring” any and all articles that I feel may be of importance to me at a later date. This way, when I’m searching for that one article that I really want to reference 3 months later, I don’t have to wade through piles and piles of articles. It makes life much more efficient for me. (Okay, well maybe not life in general, but it definitely makes blogging easier.)
Lastly, another cool option that Google Readers offers is the fact that the users can monitor trends both in their favorite bloggers and trends with themselves. Google Reader graphs articles posted and articles read down to the exact hour. How’s that for cool? I like that feature because it also offers an unbiased accountability for myself. Have I been reading too much of one blogger and not getting enough diversity in my subject matter? Google Reader will tell me!
I also found this article and video fairly helpful, if you’re looking into Google Reader, or just simply comparing the Reader that you’re currently using… Click here to check it out!
Since we’re talking about Feeds, and Feed Readers… do you subscribe to my feed? If you find my articles interesting, comical, or down-right loony, then I’d be honored if you decide to sign up for The AverageGal Feed. (Couldn’t help myself; it’s the perfect opportunity to self-promote!)
What Feed Reader do you currently use? What do you like or dislike about it? In all honesty, I really don’t know a whole lot about other readers, and I’d like to know a little more! Thanks in advance for sharing!