Scobleizer - Latest Comments in 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Levi Figueira — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:14:13 -0000

You should really take a look into NewsGator's new iPhone interface... it might be what will get me to buy NetNewsWire so I can sync them both...

Check it here for screenshots: http://appsafari.com/utilit...

On a regular computer, GR is still miles ahead of competition for me... but on the iPhone, the "regular" GR is too big (and I have no "j/k's")

Darn it... :/

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Levi Figueira — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 03:56:11 -0000

Sorry for the typos!! The iPhone borked the textbox (the left half of it was blank although the words were being written under it... and it's happening again... ARGH :/

I know I've been "power using" the iPhone these last few days (no laptop right now, so no computer outside the office) but I've found sooo many bugs and crashes... grrr

;)

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Levi Figueira — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 03:51:05 -0000

I read this post when you wrote it, but just now, after a google search on syncing NetNessWire with Google Reader and reading comment #22, decided to comment.

ive been using GR ever since it first came out and I love it! But having given a look into Nnw ive found great usefulness in a lot of its features... But Id like to be able to sync it with GR as it still is my fav web interface.. although an iPhone version is DESPERATELY needed IMO!!

Cheers

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Mark Ramsey — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:37:25 -0000

I am so locked in to Google. Gmail, calendar, reader & search.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Mihai Parparita — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:26:26 -0000

I'd like to point out that all your "actions" in Reader (reading, starring, sharing, tagging) are available as Atom feeds that you can save and do as you choose with. I elaborated on this earlier this year when our Trends feature was released:

http://nick.typepad.com/blo...

Mihai Parparita
Google Reader Engineer

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Robert Scoble — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:06:15 -0000

Andy, yes. So does my use of the iPhone.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

AndyBeard — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 23:08:13 -0000

Robert doesn't Google not allowing you to export all your historical feed items go against your "Open Social Web" ideals?

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

TDavid — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:30:16 -0000

It's too bad Google has your database of knowledge and doesn't let you take that with you, Robert :( Sure you can take the export of the feed URLs themselves, but the database stays with Google.

That's the #1 reason I don't use Google Reader (nor the other online readers) as a primary reader and instead prefer to use an RSS reader on one of our own servers with a database that I can mine for data and research without any limits -- offline or online :)

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

ttrentham — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:11:34 -0000

Scoble, reading your post and particularly the "awesome database for doing research" and "almost no noise", made me immediately think of Mahalo. You're effectively adding the human filter to what you get from your reader.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Gianni Catalfamo — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:46:21 -0000

I am locked into Netvibes for far superior user interface and more efficient use of screen real estate.
Hopefully we'll get share-able Universes (similar to fav.or.it slices which I'm also trying) soon.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

mike3k — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:41:36 -0000

I use NetNewsWire because I prefer to use a desktop application rather than read news online. I find that I can go through hundreds of unread items a lot faster in NetNewsWire than anything else.

I can't stand NewsGator online, though. I really wish NNW could sync with Google Reader instead.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

John — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:36:01 -0000

I first tried Google Reader when it came out, and it wasn't so great. I've heard it's a whole lot better, but I'm still on Bloglines (even though I am a great Google fan). I guess I just don't have any incentive to switch - especially since I am not sure how to export all the blogs I subscribe to out of Bloglines and how to import. If Google *marketed* why one should switch and how, then maybe I would consider.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

meanguy — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:30:17 -0000

Google Reader imports and exports OPML so you can take your list of feeds elsewhere.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Adam — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:23:01 -0000

I'm still using Google 'cause I'm too lazy to change.. I've only got a fraction of the feeds you do, but still, it's a PITA.

Plus, from what I remember, google had the best interface. (Haven't seen blogline's makeover, though)

-A

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Robert Scoble — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:20:59 -0000

Eric: unfortunately RSS only shows the last 50 or so posts. So, I'd still have 7,150 reasons to stay on Google Reader.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

jquig99 — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:18:48 -0000

I love the NewsGator (and on my Mac - NetNewsWire) product. While I'm not up to your number of feeds (I'm only at 116), my feeds generate about 2000 posts a day. You're inspiring me to look beyond personal use and see how I can work it into my social media strategy (sharing).

I did look at Google Reader this weekend - but, like you, I'm too invested in my system to even contemplate a switch.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Marshall Kirkpatrick — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:15:03 -0000

I'm using a FeedBurner feed for my shared items in part because of this. My blog posts and everything I tag in del.ico.us "toshare" are available in http://feeds.feedburner.com... - if I decide to share with something other than del.icio.us later, I can just point my new tool's rss feed at FeedBurner and not lose any subscribers. The downside is that I don't get the very pretty interface and stats of google reader sharing, though I suppose I could. I prefer netnewswire, fwiw.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Kevin Lipe — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:40:12 -0000

What keeps me locked into my feed reader? (Which is NetNewsWire, a desktop app, but it syncs to NewsGator so I can read everything when I'm away from my Mac) The fact that the developer is a great guy and responds to the needs of his users. Even if I found something that would work a little better, I don't think I'd switch away from NNW just because I like Brent and want to keep supporting him.

That said, I tried NetVibes for a while, and it was slow but good. Google Reader completely breaks in OmniWeb (through no fault of Google's, I'm sure) or I'd probably use it too.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Eric — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:20:57 -0000

Your link blog is available as an rss feed, so it could be imported into another application. What applications out there would allow searching all the content? is fav.or.it one of them?

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

John — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:03:47 -0000

What keeps me locked in to Bloglines? The mobile version of Bloglines works on the browser I use on my Treo (Xiino). The mobile version of Google Reader does not. Otherwise, I'd switch.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Nick Halstead — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:52:33 -0000

fav.or.it will give you more than 7,200 reasons to move away,

1. Interacting with your readers, being able to read/reply in one application, the reader acts almost as a chat room.

2. Slices - Single blog reading is the past, being able to read groups of blogs together, and groups of blogs filtered into our 'slice' lets your read the content you want.

3. Your shared feed is dead, game over, its is no more. Because fav.or.it aggregates the lot, people no longer need to find the best articles through your link blog (I love it at the moment btw.) but fav.or.it lets you find all the content you want without having to search around for the best 'feeds'.

4. Dont want to search around? Use our 5 star filter, 5 stars = top 100 blogs, 1 star = top 1,000,000 blogs..

5. Share a slice! - Found a group of blogs, a combination of tags/categories you like? we turn it into a tinyurl - which can be sent straight to a friend so they can read what you read.

6. Lots more I cant talk about yet!

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

eric link — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:42:07 -0000

but are you really locked in? Your link blog is published as rss so you could put it somewhere else pretty easily.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

jezarnold — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:23:15 -0000

Its definitely the best way for a linkblog, but wouldn't it be good for you to specify an address that you can share your link blog? something like www.XXX.com/linkblog ...

It must only be a setting? or a tweak?

Anyway I use Google Reader because I like the Google product set, and feel that they are the only company going into the future that can look after what I want them to look after.. mail / calendar / search / feed reader and hopefully a decent address book and to do will be coming out soon!

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Robert Scoble — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:11:12 -0000

Matt: yup! good point.

Re: 7,200 Google Reader lockins

Matt — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:08:49 -0000

Using the same logic you could also argue that your feed reader app needs to be in hands you know will be around well into the future. You've made an investment that has switching and greater risk relative to what you have. I don't think any of the feed readers you mentioned are at much risk but it is certain that Google is going to not only be around but continue to invest.

If I had to guess this is probably similar to your reasons behind your decision to use Flickr as opposed to Zoomr even though you might prefer to support them.