Google has made a second big announcement today via the official Google Blog, amongst a smattering of minor products such as Google Building Maker and Google Cloud Connect they’ve announced that Google Reader will be ‘retired’ on the 1st of July.
The full statement on the demise of just about everyones favourite source of RSS feeds is as follows :
We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months.
The Google Reader Blog writes that they are aware that Google Reader has a devoted following who will be very sad to see it go and that they too are saddened by the news.
A number of Android apps will be affected by this closure, but we’ll have to wait a while for them to digest this news and respond.
So, it’s time to start investigating alternatives, ensuring that you have downloaded your feeds prior to the closing down of the service, first. Alternatives to RSS such as using social media such as Twitter, Google+ or Facebook as a replacement have been suggested and services like Pulse and Currents exist, however these can be hit and miss. Whatever happens in the future, Google Reader will definitely be missed.
Let everyone know, what’s your alternative to Google Reader?
