Google Reader

I don’t normally make a fuss about format changes on Facebook, and I was actually an early adopter of the revised Gmail look. Redesigns are usually A-OK in my book. But the Google Reader change has me miffed. 

As I’ve said on Twitter, the forced integration with Google Plus is what bothers me the most. I had a very tiny circle of people with whom I shared items, and they shared them back. 

For five years, since I left home, my dad has shared his favorite comics with me in Google Reader. I was talking to him just the other day, and just before we hung up he said “I love you, and think of you every time I share Pearls!” Yes, it’s corny. But it’s also true. 

Now I have to either “+1” the item or use the difficult and obscure “share” button in the google bar across the top of the page. Then I have to choose a circle to share it with, then I have to click “share.” What used to be one click is now three, including navigation through a pop-up window. 

But it’s not the difficulty that bothers me the most. Its the fact that the people I care about, the ones I was thinking of every time I hit “share”, now have to go figure out another service. And using that new service to recommend blog posts has all the problems that Felicia Day complained about here* with websites removing RSS. 

So here’s my solution: I’m going to use the “Send to…” feature to send posts I like to tumblr. It’s not any simpler, but my tumblr has an RSS feed that can be plugged right back in to Reader.

Mama, Daddy: If you haven’t already done this, go to Google Reader. Click that GIANT HUGE RED “subscribe” button. Type in “lettersfromanut.tumblr.com” and click “add.”  Now you can see my posts. 

===

*Yes, I am aware of the potential irony in linking to a G+ post in a complaint about G+ integration…