

Nick Bradbury asks: Is Google Reader being retired? - ambirex
http://groups.google.com/group/fougrapi/browse_thread/thread/b0eb7f67939c627

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pbreit
Google is obviously not "retiring Reader". But I suspect it is making some
changes substantive enough to lose some users, probably of the power variety.
I think it is jumping to crazy conclusions to interpret that blog post as
indicating anything remotely resembling a retirement.

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joebadmo
Doesn't seem like Google's been shy about what they're shutting down. Why
would they be with Google Reader?

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deadcyclo
The title here is misleading. The guy is asking if the unofficial google
reader API is being retired, not if google reader is being retired. (Google
reader is getting an overhaul to fit googles new design and some of the social
bits are being moved to google+)

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mwhite
"I hate to ask this, but I have to: is Google preparing to retire Reader?"

Sounds to me like he's talking about Google Reader itself.

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deadcyclo
Try looking at it again:

It's posted in "Friends of the Unofficial Google Reader API"

and he says: "I realize that we're using an unofficial API, so we have no
right to complain about any changes to it (instead we should be thankful to
have been able to use it for so long). But at the same time, the Reader team
is well aware that developers such as myself are using their API in our
software, and some of us rely on this software to generate an income."

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mwhite
Google Reader being retired entails the API being discontinued. Certainly he'd
care if, instead, just the API was discontinued. But if _all_ he was talking
about was the API being discontinued, then he wouldn't have used the
unambiguous words "discontinue/retire Reader" four times, including in the
title.

I guess I just have a slightly different idea of the meaning of 'misleading'
and 'asking'.

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deadcyclo
Try attacking it from a different angle: The first thing he does is post a
link to a google blog post that clearly states that they are releasing a new
and changed version of google reader, and later on talks about changes to the
API can ruin peoples businesses.

Now, if he really was talking about google reader being retired, and not just
the API, that would mean that he in no way, shape or form could have read the
blog post he himself initially posted a link to.

My best guess is that it simply is a poor choice of words, and that he figured
since he was posting on the webpage of the API, he simply skipped the word
API.

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magic_haze
I've been using reader for /years/ now, and I still don't think I know all its
features: I just found out yesterday - completely by accident - that pressing
'f' throws reader into a really simple river-of-posts mode with all the
headers and navigation widgets hidden. I hope the change will make these kinds
of features more prominent (but to be honest, I really doubt this will be
anything but dumbing it down)

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joebadmo
Try hitting ? for keyboard shortcuts.

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varjag
Reader was also moved from the top Google bar into "More" some weeks ago.

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flarg
Yep, I noticed that too. Seems suggestive of retirement.

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apgwoz
_> Seems suggestive of retirement_

Why does that seems suggestive of retirement? They're obviously optimizing
this bar for my mom and not people who know what, and how to use Reader.
"Calendar", "Documents", "Photos", "Web" (which takes you to google.com and
changes the top bar)--those are smart choices for that bar, as they appeal to
everyone.

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zachgreen
I agree. If they were retiring it, wouldn't they have just removed it from the
list all together?

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steve8918
Jeeze I hope not. I really like Google Reader, although I did notice they
moved the Reader link from the top of Gmail to the drop-down menu for some
reason, a few weeks ago.

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gonewest818
no I don't think so.

All they're saying is: "We're integrating Reader more tightly with G+ but if
that integration offends you, here's how to take your data out."

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willy1234x1
Yeah, I don't understand the fuss. Google said that they were going to tightly
integrate all their services with G+ and now they start following through and
people start to bitch. They're doing exactly what they said they were going to
and if anything the tighter integration is going to make G+ a much more
attractive product.

