Nick Bradbury asks: Is Google Reader being retired? | Hacker News Reader

Nick Bradbury asks: Is Google Reader being retired?

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33 pointsambirex18 comments

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.

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

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+)

"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.

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."

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'.

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.

There's been an announcement from Google that they are finally implementing one the most-asked for features for Google Reader: sharing items from Readers to your G+ circles. Once implemented, sharing news items from Reader to other Reader users no longer makes sense.

Google ditching Reader API makes more sense as a possibility than Google ditching Reader all-together.

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)

Try hitting ? for keyboard shortcuts.

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

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

> 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.

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

this move has been driving me crazy ever since.

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.

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."

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.

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