Google Reader

Isn't it fun when you find a new blog or news site, you follow it for a few days, and then forget all about it? Or, more likely, you find yourself pressing "refresh" every hour in hopes your brother has posted something new to his blog, only to find yourself close to tears with disappointment?

Google Reader ("G-Reader") is a piece of the Google-net that tracks and receives updates from all your sites through RSS feeds to one spot. Because all your new feeds are on one page, G-Reader will keep you informed and up-to-date, saving you valuable work hours and saving you from grave, hourly disappointment. To get set up, go to reader.google.com and sign in under your gmail name and password. Then pick the sites you want (such as this one!) and put their URL in the "add subscription" box on the left (or go to the site and click the little orange RSS feed button to get the feed). You will now be following those sites, and every time they upload, the posting will show up in that main window, for you to peruse at your leisure.

Once you're all set up, there are some fun "extras" that make the experience even more worthwhile. Once you start reading posts, you'll notice some options at the bottom of each entry. "Share" and "Share with note" will cause that posting to show up in the lists of each contact from your google contacts (who also use G-Reader). This means I get to enjoy what my friends and family find interesting, which gives a great flavor for what's going on in their lives (and it's so much easier and more appreciated than emailing your entire contact list every little msn article you think is cool). Sort of like snooping around their desk to see what they're reading, but easier!

If you use G-Reader, leave me a comment about additional perks...time for me to learn something new too!