Google Reader Shuts Down--But There Are RSS Reader Alternatives

Google Reader has now shut down.

As of today, Google Reader has gone kaput. Many people used the service to funnel RSS feeds from Web sites, blogs, and various other kinds of media...but now no more.

The reader had been under-used for years, and Google considered it obsolete. Many won't notice its passing-because they are not using it.

Still, a segment of loyal devotees mourn the once-innovative service. "This is a sad day," CNET reader trhoads82 wrote in March when Google announced the coming demise for Reader. "I won't switch to anything else. It just means I won't take the time to go to each site to read my content each day."

The service was introduced in 2005. The initial press release said,

"The amount of information on the Web is rapidly increasing," Google said on the day of the site's launch. "Google Reader helps you keep up with it all by organizing and managing all the content you're interested in. Instead of continuously checking your favorite sites for updates, you can let Google Reader do it for you."

In another blast from the past, AOL recently announced they would provide an RSS reader. Isn't it a little late, guys?

A host of other alternatives have sprung up as well-and Google bowing out of the picture might just be a good thing. It gives smaller companies a chance to get a foothold in the ring.

The Google Reader was, in many ways, an early experiment in social networking. And it fit Google's mission to organize  he world's information.

However, when Facebook and Twitter became more prominent, Google Reader became less popular. In 2011, the company installed changes the Reader to encourage Google+ usage. Devotees protested, and many left. It was the beginning of the end for the service.

Yahoo is also shutting down its RSS Alerts. Digg, however, plans to cater to Google Rader users soon. Feedly is a Google Reader alternative that already works, and it doesn't require browser plug-ins or any extensions.