I was SHOCKED when I heard that Google was shutting down Reader. This is a tragedy. Don’t let the social media marketers tell you what, when, and how you will consume your content.
The Internet world died a little today when Google announced that it was shutting down it’s RSS Reader service.
The self-proclaimed tech experts bowed to mighty Google’s supreme reign and called their actions good. In the mean time the cries began to be heard around the Web as techies all over the world began to shed tears at the loss of a beloved service. Google claims that the service “isn’t being used” so it’s scrapping it on June 1.
RSS is a lifesaver against the constant flood of social media sharing taking place today
If Google Reader isn’t being used, then why the outrage around the Internet? We’re not talking about a handful of nerds here. Reader is a serious tool. Sure, all of our inboxes are flooded with unread items. Ok, so maybe the content isn’t as fresh as what you could get from social media sites, but there in lies the problem. What if I missed a great post published in the last week, or month? Can I rely on Twitter to make that available for me the next time I check my timeline? No.
I guess I’m supposed to believe that this is how I’m supposed to get the most important items that I should be reading. Can I trust the state of social media today to do that for me?
The state of social media content management
A tweet or Facebook post today has only a few seconds to live before it’s drowned out by the constant barrage of sharing that takes place on the social media sites. But my Reader feeds? They’re always there. Pleasantly waiting for me to choose when I want to consume. Not forcing me to constantly check in and see what’s been posted and consume on the spot or risk losing the information for all time.
Twitter’s timeline or hashtags are littered with spam. Facebook’s algorithm now filters out posts based on a users viewing habits. So how can I know that I’m going to the get the type of content that I want to get? RSS really is the only way. Let me subscribe to a feed. Let me choose when to see the content. Let me have the control over it. Stop trying to tell me what I want to read, and when I should be reading it.
RSS is not dead
RSS is not dead. It’s alive, albeit a bit outdated in terms of its user interface. But that’s an application design issue, not a usability issue. Don’t kill RSS. Don’t give up on RSS. Don’t let the social media marketers win. Proclaim your independence from being told what, when, and where you will consume your content online. This is YOUR Internet. You have the power. You are responsible enough to make your decisions and to retain control.
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