If your like most of us at Doreo you read a lot of blogs. Rather than actually go and check each blog daily we use RSS readers. We’ve tired lots of them (both stand alone apps and web based). We all finally settled on one that we like Google Reader.
Google Reader has all the features that I want:
- Web Based (I work on at least 3 different machines)
- The ability to categorize blogs
- Lots of plug-ins to make it more useful/extend it
The plug-in part was a bit of a stretch, but you’ll see in a second. I normally browse the web with FireFox. FireFox actually has the plug-ins that make Google Reader work great.
The first plug-in is Smart Google Reader Subscribe Button. This is a awesome little tool. Instead of having to hunt all over a blog to find the RSS feed it puts a little RSS icon on the top right of the web page. If you are already subscribed the RSS icon has a check mark on it. The plug-in requires GreaseMonkey, but that is whole different post about the net things you can do with GreaseMonkey.
The second great plug-in is Google Reader Notified Firefox Extension. This litte guy will sit down in your FireFox status bar. When there is a new post on one of the blogs that your subscribed to it’s icon will change and it will show you (with a number) how many unread posts there are.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
i use bloglines although i’ve heard good things about google reader as well.
Farzad,
Several of us here have tried bloglines and liked it too. One of the things that I’ve read (now if I could remember where) is that if you read your blog with Google reader it can help your Google page rank (since they can measure that readership).
Outlook 2007 RSS Feeds system rules them all Frank
I use to use Google Reader, then tried the FireFox “Sage”, and then once Outlook 2007 came out with their new RSS Feeds system, it put the hurt to everything else out there.
Anyway, just thought I’d share.
John