Friday, May 10, 2013

Google this, Google that

 laptop computers,PCs,technology

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:

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.  

19 comments:

Terry said...

Great info! I switched to Feedly and I love it! :0)

Debbie said...

Thanks for the info and easy to understand language! Give him a hug from all of us.
I have noticed several blogs I follow no longer come across on my dashboard reader and I have to hunt them down separately. So I am going to check out feedly and see about it. Thanks again.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

thanks for the info, I have not switched yet and still researching

Shelley said...

and here comes the stupid one lol=me! I am to understand that unless I change to Feedly or Bloglovin etc. that eventually my blog will be obsolete? Google just hosts blogs? i need a new host? But Blogger will still exist outside of Google? What happens if I don't change to something else? I sure hope techy son or you can help, cause I'm really lost on this whole thing

regan said...

Your last line is what I do, as well. And I'm wondering if it will change when Reader goes away. As people started talking about this Google Reader thing going away, I was totally confused.....why aren't they just using their dashboard? I'm so tech-challenged, and all the lingo is very confusing! Oh well! As usual, I'll let the brilliant minds figure it all out, and I'll follow along blindly, but very happy! LOL

Cindy said...

This really has helped me to understand ALL of the THINGS. That I had questions about. Thanks so much to your son !

beaquilter said...

great post, I have always used the dashboard but know that wordpress blogs are not part of that, tried out feedly and I don't LOVE it... going to check out pulse....

Pam said...

Most of the blogs that i read are now with bloglovin as am I.My computer knowledge is minimal so I decided to follow the crowd.

Kindred Quilts said...

Very helpful post! I'm still undecided as what to do.

Sinta Renee said...

Thank you for taking the time to shed light on the subject.

Barbara Sindlinger said...

I use the dashboard too and haven't been able to figure out if that is going away.

Kim said...

Thank you for this post and thank you to your techno savvy son for shedding light on this subject....I fear that I am techno challenged at the best of times!

claudia said...

It is great info, but I am so technically challenged that I am still confused. I'm one of those that has to have someone take me by the hand and walk me through it, then I am still confused.
But thank your son for taking the time to explain things, cause I do get it a little more than before I read what he had to say!

SewCalGal said...

Great insights. There are also a few that are being developed, with hopes to replace Google/Reader when it obsoletes. I've been looking at all the current RSS readers that are available and hopeful something better will get developed, but Old Reader is also been pretty handy.

SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

Miriam said...

Thank you to your son for all the time and effort he has put into this for us.

Mostly I use the dashboard to read the blogs I follow, but I did join bloglovin in case it goes away.

I do have one question.....do I have to do anything so that my readers will still see my blog when Google Reader goes away?? Do I need to sign up for bloglovin, feedly, pulse etc??

Jen said...

Thank you for that info. I always use Blogger Dashboard to read blogs and haven't heard anything at all about Dashboard being any different. If your techno dear son has heard about Blogger dashboard can he please say on a post again .

Anita in Florida said...

Hmmm...great post, thanks to you and your son!
BUT...I have a Blog List on my blog (as do most of the blogs I read).
THAT is how I read blogs that I enjoy...I just go to MY blog and all recent posts show up on my Blog List.
Seems easier (to me) than a reader or going into Dashboard.

barbara woods said...

I use bloglovin and put all I can on it but still read dashboard

Meggie said...

Great information....