Trying So Hard to Be Good

Have any of you found a decent replacement for Google Reader? Do y'all even use Google Reader?

For those of you who have no idea what the hell I'm talking about:

Google Reader is a "news reading platform". Which basically means it's a place where you can bookmark all of your favorite blogs and websites. Then they'll keep track of what is read and what is unread and who has posted something new. It's very convenient if you're someone who keeps up with a bunch of blogs.

Which I'm not. I'm supposed to be, since I'm...a blogger. But as all of you who are my fellow bloggers know, I am terrible at keeping up. I'll go through little spurts when I'm super on top of things - reading and commenting like crazy. But then I get distracted (and lazy) and suddenly, I'll go to my Google Reader and they'll say I have 240 unread posts so I just kind of freak out and start hitting "Mark all as Read" and give up.

But since (as many of you already know because of all my whining) I have given up games for Lent, I suddenly have much more time for things such as reading, and I've been trying to be better. Not much better, but a little better.

So the other day, I went to my Google Reader and they say that it's closing on July 1! I don't know why.

I started poking around on the web, and found some alternate sites that I thought I'd try, but I swear, I've never had more trouble doing anything on the computer. This was harder than when I built my little Spin Cycle button thingy, and that just about killed me. This is not a user-friendly deal, y'all!

First, I tried a place called Feedly, which seemed promising because it was so pretty. Much more attractive than Google Reader - sort of looks like you're reading a magazine. At first I thought "fabulous!" because they allowed me to sync my Google Reader subscriptions and "follows" really easily. But then things got wonky. I can't figure out how to add a new website. Yes, I click "Add Website" and a little thingy pops up, but they only let me add their "suggested" websites. And I can't figure out how to edit and delete sites - I can with some,  not with others. And for some reason, it lists the blogs I'm following twice - the same blogs twice, like I accidentally duplicated them, but I didn't. I swear.  So this is all very frustrating.

Second, I tried The Old Reader, which is billed as being just like what Google Reader used to be, before they "upgraded" it. So I thought it would be easier. Yeah, right. After about an hour, I managed to import my Google Reader contents, via something called an OPML file. Don't ask. I don't even know how I did it, I just kept pushing buttons until something worked. But then...The Old Reader says, "Thank you for uploading your OPML file. We will soon start importing your subscriptions, which might take up to several hours depending on the amount of feeds you have. There are 27177 users in the import queue ahead of you."

Yes, that is right, 27177 users in front of me! It has said this for over 24 hours now. Apparently, everybody is bailing on Google Reader at the same time, and The Old Reader folks weren't prepared for all the traffic. This morning they posted something on the site apologizing, and assuring us that they "were able to ramp up the queue processing speed, so it should move along much faster now." Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it.

Then I decided to try NewsBlur (and yes, I am going down a list of "5 Best Google Reader Alternatives"), but after I signed up, they told me that "Due to overwhelming demand, free accounts are temporarily suspended." and then they suggested I go "premium" for $24 a month. %&#$@!

So I've temporarily given up. Does anybody have any ideas?

Oh look, it's now been several hours since I wrote the above, and The Old Reader says I now only have 27014 users in the import queue ahead of me. Woohoo!!! (That was sarcasm)

Oh, by the way...it's my birthday. I realize that by now, most of you have stopped reading this long and boring rant about technical nonsense, so you probably won't read this. How old am I? 143. And I think I'm looking good for my age.

Comments

[Elizabeth Aquino]

Oh, Happy Happy Birthday to you! All the more reason for a get-together this week! Let's talk tomorrow. Until then, I have no idea about Google Reader. It gives me agita. I read a gazillion blogs, but they're all on my own blog sidebar, so I just click on them every day -- some a couple of times a day. When a new post goes up, the rotate up to the top of the sidebar. It works for me --

[Michele]

I've never used Google Reader or if I have I've lost track of it long ago. I use the reader that comes with Blogger. If that is the one that is going away I'm sunk.

Happy Birthday! You look Marvelous!

[Judy Ring]

Happy Birthday, Gretchen! I do use Google Reader and this news is not good. Google is how I keep up with all my blogs. And I don't blog myself, so I don't have a handy sidebar to remind me to read my blogs. But I do have 2 sons in the computer industry and I am going to nag them mercilessly until one of them gives me a solution. I hope your day celebrating 143 trips around the sun is as amazing as you are - and, yes, you are still stunning. As TLo would say, WERQ it, Girl!

[The Bug]

Happy birthday!! You DO look good for your age (actually you just look good for any age. I kind of hate you. Not really!!).

I used Google Reader because I follow a blue million blogs - I'd never be able to manage them with the blogger dashboard. I've imported my blogs into feedly, but I haven't played around with it yet. Sounds like it will be loads of fun!

Someone else suggested Bloglovin - but I haven't even looked at it yet. Sigh.

[Jan's Sushi Bar]

Happy Birthday, Gretchen! Since we're about the same age (I'm 140), I'd say you're looking quite good. I, on the other hand, look like a greying, tired, Droopy Dog.

As for Google Reader...yeah, I use it and I'm rather stressing about it being yanked in July. My blog is so tied to Google, what with Feedburner and AdSense and Analytics, it makes me nervous - what are they going to pull out from under me next??

I'll tell you what, though - I'll go sign up for Feedly and when I figure out how to add a new feed (beyond their recommended sites), I'll shoot you off an email.

[Alaina]

Happy birthday!

[Arnebya]

Happy birthday! I wish you could hear me singing (I'm quite talented!) May I call you so you too can hear the goodness of my happy voice?

Oh, the Reader. I am sighing. Heavily. Dramatically, actually. Also, ugh. I use the reader (well, I use the dashboard from my old blogger platform which is going away too as in it won't accept the feeds anymore.) Feedly and Blog Lovin' are all I'm hearing about but I haven't looked at either (heard Feedly is easily navigable while BL will let you comment through its interface without going to the actual blog? Not sure what that does for stats if people are into that.) I do hope something worthwhile jumps in because subscribing by email is NOT the way I want to go.

[Ginny Marie]

I'm trying to figure out what to do, too! I'm on Bloglovin', but I haven't actually done any thing with it, and I'm not sure I even like it yet.
Here's my profile if you want to see it: http://www.bloglovin.com/lemondroppie

This month has been so crazy; it seems like every social media site has decided to change things around! It's so hard to keep up.

[VandyJ]

Happy birthday!
I use the dashboard for blogger. I'm watching to see what comes up as the best reader.
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

[tina erickson]

Happy Birthday to you you you you!!!!

[mommylisa]

I signed up for Feedly - I didn't try add/delete yet. Why does Google keep doing this? It is getting rid of my iGoogle pages too. :(

[Kendra]

Happy birthday!I hope you have an excellent birthday!

I too use reader and have no idea what to use. It seems like so many people use it but they said it was going away due to lack of use. I call BS!

[Sarah at 32Flavors]

Happy birthday!!

I don't know what I'm going to do without Google Reader. It's just plain mean. Are they just bitter about google+ not killing Facebook?