Sunday, June 2, 2013

#blogjune Day 2 To Feedly or not to Feedly




Well it is nearly crunch time with Google Reader and I needed to start making some decisions about whether I really wanted to continue with a feed reader. I had decided previously that if I did I was going to go with Feedly.  But did I really want a feed reader?

Once upon a time I read Bloglines daily and really relied upon it for my professional reading, news, food blogs, local and family history, film, news. You name it.  It was such a useful way to get digests of everything I wanted.  Well, actually mostly it is fair to say, as I still subscribe and regularly use a couple of old-fashioned listservs that I have been using since 2000.

Then I started to use Bloglines more erratically and things would bank up.  @shewgirl and I used to have an ongoing joke about it. I had started to realize the benefit of Twitter and was starting to get most (but definitely not all) from there.  I migrated my feeds to Google Reader once Bloglines was foundering but despite the fact that I could access these on my iThings I rarely look at them.  I tend to get my reading from Twitter, a bit from Facebook and I subscribe to a few Paperli magazines to get a broad flavour.  And, of course, there is Flipboard.

However, last night I read a Twitter conversation about the blogs for #blogjune.  These people were just adding all the #blogjune blog urls to Feedly.  Hmm, did I want to do that? So I thought about it.  I must say one of the uses I still saw for a feed reader was for reviewing blogposts.  One can subscribe to blogs and get individual email alerts.  I do that with some blogs, particularly if there is a discussion going on that I want to stay part of, but I don't really want to flood my email inbox with lots more emails.

So last night while I was playing with my phone as I watched #aflcatssuns on television I loaded up the iPhone app for Feedly.  What next?  Ah I just had to connect to Google to sync all my folders and contents. I added a couple of blog urls that I had been reading.  It all seemed quite an easy interface.  Today I investigated it on Firefox and loaded it on my desktop. Again the way in was syncing with Google. It's a pretty bare desktop interface but not to worry as I really want to use it on the go and the app has obviously had more work done on it.

I am experimenting but I think that I probably will use it to monitor feeds from blogs - once I tidy it up a bit and get rid of stuff I no longer want or stuff I get elsewhere.  I also need to investigate what happens when Google stops supporting Google Reader.  At the moment I get into Feedly via syncing with that.  Presumably there will be changed arrangements. I also have a feeling that this may be a topic later for #anz23mthings so that will provide me with an opportunity to review the situation.

8 comments:

Steph said...

I'd rather use Feedly than overwhelm my email inbox with posts!
Feedly are working on developing their own API to take over when Google Reader shuts down at the start of July. Phil Bradley wrote quite a bit about the end of Google Reader and possible alternatives if you're wanting to know more.

Polyxena said...

Me too! I did read a lot of stuff ages ago I assume including Phil Bradley but all I could remember was that I had decided to go with Feedly:) I'll check out what Phil had to say.

Hoi said...

I tried both Old Reader and Feedly, I like how I can easily organise my feeds in Feedly and will definitely go for Feedly!!!

Polyxena said...

I agree. The Feedly interface is very easy to use and quite attractive. Google Reader is a bit clunky these days but I guess they have decided not to put any development into it as it is closing.

Cath Sheard said...

I joined Feedly yesterday as I prepare to lose iGoogle in November. I'm getting it organised, but am not there yet! I'm having a bit of trouble getting it set up on my iPad but seeing your post reminds me to have another shot at it.

Polyxena said...

I haven't tried it on my iPad, just phone and desktop (Firefox). I'll give it a go on iPad later. Sometimes with apps it can be easier to do the setup on desktop and then use the app. It shouldn't be but sometimes it is easier. I ended up adding all my #blogjune feeds via desktop yesterday rather than phone as it seemed a bit easier keeping multiple sites up.

TamaraGeorgette said...

wow! great post, I was wondering what the best way to organise my blog june posts were and you just nailed it on the head. Thanks!

Polyxena said...

Thank you!!

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