Google this, Google that

 

There has been so much talk lately about Google Reader going  away.  Recently I was made aware that Goggle homepage will also be going away.
 Here is a link to what they are saying:https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2664197

Not being very computer savvy, I checked with my Tech Man (Son) and here is what he tells me :-)

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Recently, my mom told me that some folks are really confused with what is going on with Google Reader and Blogger/ blogging with Google Plus. I am going to try and summarize these services, what is happening to them/how you should be using them. 

Google Reader: Google reader is an RSS (Rich Site Summary) content application and platform that aggregates content served by web feeds. Basically, it lets you put a whole lot of websites information that you like to see into one spot all the time, so you don't have to search for it. This service is evolving a bit and basically Google has decided that their Reader service is not as good as others and they don't want to put the time into fixing it up. Now! If you still want to get all of your information in one place, I did some quick looking and here are some suggestions of websites/applications you can use.

1. Feedly: Mom told me that you folks are looking into Feedly. From what I see, it looks like a decent service and it sounds like it has a lot of features. I have not used it though.

2. Pulse: This is probably my recommendation for you folks to look at. I have personally used this app on my phone in the past, it functions well, and the layout is nice. As well, it is compatible across all platforms (web, iOS, Android).

3. Flipboard: Got a lot of hype about 6 months ago, similar to pulse however I think it only works on mobile devices (iOS and Android).

For more suggestions check out these web pages:

http://lifehacker.com/5990881/five-best-google-reader-alternatives

http://edudemic.com/2013/03/google-reader-alternatives-im-trying-out/

Now I would like to address the issue of Google Plus and using it for blogging. First off, If you are using Google Plus as your method of producing Blog content, you really need to do some research on how to blog. Google Plus is a social media site owned and operated by Google. According to Wikipedia, it is the Second largest social networking site in the world, surpassing Twitter earlier this year. However, you need to focus on two words out of the last few sentences: Social Media. Google Plus is not designed, was never created for and SHOULD NOT BE USED for a blogging website. Google Plus is Google's take on what sites like Facebook and Twitter should be. Now, please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying "Don't use Google Plus!". Quite the contrary. I would suggest that you learn how to use sites like Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter. But you must use them in their proper context! These sites are not designed for Blogging. That is why we have websites like Blogger and WordPress. Social Media websites are used for networking and promoting your service or product. Which in your case, is your Blog! With a Social Media account, when utilized correctly, you can market your blog for free/cheap and use that to get more hit's on your blog, which (if you monetize your blog) allow for more exposure to ad's that are on your blog which then allows you to make more money. Or, if you do not monetize your blog, then you just get more hits, more exposure to your content and your friends content. 

This explanation has already run on longer than I expected. Basically, just remember, Social Media sites are not designed for blogging. However, they can be utilized to promote your blog and grow your viewer base.

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I hope this is helpful in some way.  I am still trying to decide what to do about the Reader.  I have always read blogs from my Dashboard, but I have not heard if the Dashboard will go away when the Reader is no longer active.