21–30 of 242 posts
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is how odd it is that google is killing a product likely used widely within Google .
I don't think it's odd. I think the speculation that some reader features are being rolled into plus is accurate and google wants their internal people dog fooding those implementations.
Google cancelled a product. It let you read websites quickly. There are other ways to do it. Moving on...
> Google made a big mistake cancelling Google Reader that will have severe ripple effects to its empire. Oh come on: enough already. Obviously there was a /vocal/ user base which is very loudly now upset that the product is being sunset. Guess what, Google didn't see it as a large enough set of people to make it worth monetizing. Such is life. Move on. It's certainly not the end of Google if that's what this article…
I think Google's better move would have been cut a few features and 'Plus-ify' Reader - kinda like they have been doing with their other products. They would have evolved an important user base, shown commitment to the RSS standard, and kept a number of important apps using their api's.
Aren't they after all supposed to be championing the open web?
I don't think this is intentional, but it now hard to argue againsT people saying that they intentionally waited till they killed the RSS readers market and then shut down their product.
> Google made a big mistake cancelling Google Reader that will have severe ripple effects to its empire. Oh come on: enough already. Obviously there was a /vocal/ user base which is very loudly now upset that the product is being sunset. Guess what, Google didn't see it as a large enough set of people to make it worth monetizing. Such is life. Move on. It's certainly not the end of Google if that's what this article…
Reading the commentary on this I feel like I'm only schlep in the tech industry that didn't use Google Reader. But then I ask my non-tech friends and guess what 90% of them say "Oh, I had some feeds on there from awhile back but I never really read them that often". I wonder if the people who used it are such trendsetters why that is the case ...
I think the coolest feature of it was its massive database of RSS feeds. I liked being able to flip through tons of categories and add them. However, it wasn't enough to keep me coming back, and that's probably why Google is discontinuing it.
I wish there was some way to export all those feeds, though.
"Influencers" who liked Google Reader, now jilted, are going to use their magic influence beam to halt the growth of Android, to erode the dominance of Google in search, and prevent the regulatory approval of self-driving cars?
Google has quite a few heavy responsibilities on their hands. They have to manage growth and competition in hugely complex, emerging fields.
The lesson they learned correctly was that focus is essential. RSS is dead. A handful of nerds enjoy it, it solves a handful of problems, but it's not a hot technology around which you can build a business on the scale that will move needles for Google.
So they cut it and they're not even going to notice it in the rearview mirror.
In an amusing, if anecdotal, aside – Gina Trapani, an OG nerd influencer if ever there was one, tweeted that she'd checked out of Google Reader long ago.
An article full of nonsense. Discontinuing Google Reader IS NOT sending a message to enterprises that they should not use Google product for the long term.
I know lots of companies rely on and pay for GMail, I'm sure it won't be discontinued anytime soon, but I'm also sure this event puts thoughts in the back of many people's minds about that eventuality.
I love Marcello and am a fan, but this is an emotional, not well thought through reaction. The best leaders, the best organizations, the ones that create excellence, are those that are as good at saying no as they are at saying yes. I've worked at a large company. It is easy for outsiders to think "oh, they have infinite resources and can do anything". This is not the case at all. I am not much of a Google fan. I dro…
Google doesn't say "No." They say "Yes... yes... yes... no! Just kidding! Psych!"
I can't tie my personal or corporate strategy to that.