How To Get Started With Google Reader
I have tried to push many of my friends onto frindfeed, but with no success. However, lately I have told a few people about Google Reader and have had much better success in getting adopotion. So I thought I would put a quick guide to getting started with Google Reader.
Before we get started on setting up your Reader account, lets talk about what Reader is and why it makes sense for most of us. Google Reader is a website that pulls in 'feeds' that you specify so that you can read a variety of material without leaving one page. It also keeps track of what you have and haven't read so you don't miss any big news. There are some nice social features built in; sharing, emailing, and sharing with notes. The biggest advantage of Reader is the sheer speed at which you can consume a mass amount of media because of the layout and Gmail like keyboard shortcuts.
Getting Started
- Login to your Google Reader account by visiting www.google.com/reader
- Click 'Add subscription' and type in a website you read often, such as StuffWhitePeopleLike.com
- Rinse and Repeat. Keep adding sites that you visit frequently
- Setup folders to manage your feed list so you can prioritize what you read
- Edit your sharing settings to start to share articles with your friends
Once you have started using Google Reader you will notice that there will be a section called "Friends shared items." These are any of your Gmail contacts that are sharing items through Google Reader. This is a very nice social feature that fits nicely into the Reader interface and allows you see what your friends are reading. If you are interested in sharing items that you don't read in Reader, the 'bookmarklet' is a great feature to do this.
If you have any problems, make sure to follow the links or check out the Reader Help Center.
Have any other tips for people that are getting started with Reader, share them in the comments.
If you aren't using Reader, why aren't you and what would need to be changed for you to start using it?
4 comments:
Good post, Derek! I just started using reader a couple of weeks ago and love it. One thing that may be worth pointing out is how easy it is to subscribe to blogs. For example, most of blogs I've been reading have an option for you to subscribe to it via your Google Reader. So, it's two clicks rather than having to open up your reader and adding it manually. I hope that made sense :)
One more thing, I like the 'discover' feature which suggests feeds to you that are matched up to your interests.
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