Google Reader

In early 2001, software engineer Chris Wetherell began a project he called "JavaCollect" that served as a news portal based on web feeds. After working at Google he began a similar project with a small team that launched an improved product on October 7, 2005, as Google Reader.{{cite web|url=http://massless.org/default.php?archive=2007/05/about-google-readers-birth-part-1|title=Massless - About Google Reader's Birth: Part 1.|publisher=massless.org|first=Chris|last=Wetherell|access-date=May 17, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619093004/http://massless.org/default.php?archive=2007%2F05%2Fabout-google-readers-birth-part-1|archive-date=June 19, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://massless.org/?archive=2007/05/about-google-readers-birth-part-2|title=Massless - About Google Reader's Birth: Part 2.|publisher=massless.org|first=Chris|last=Wetherell|access-date=May 21, 2007}}

In September 2006, Google announced a redesign for Reader that included new features such as unread counts, the ability to "mark all as read", a new folder-based navigation, and an expanded view so users could quickly scan over several items at once. This also marked the addition of a sharing feature, which allowed readers to publish interesting items for others to see.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html|title=Something looks...different.|publisher=googlereader.blogspot.com|first=Ben|last=Darnell|access-date=May 21, 2007}}

In January 2007, Google added video content from YouTube and Google Video to Reader.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html|title=Getting embedded in Google Reader.|publisher=googlereader.blogspot.com|first=Chris|last=Wetherell|access-date=January 30, 2007}}

In September 2007, product marketing manager Kevin Systrom (later, founder of Instagram) announced that Google Reader had graduated out of Google Labs.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html|title=Breaking up isn't hard to do.|publisher=googlereader.blogspot.com|first=Kevin|last=Systrom|access-date=September 7, 2007}}

On March 13, 2013, Google announced they were discontinuing Google Reader, stating the product had a loyal but declining following, and they wanted to focus on fewer products. They gave users a sunset period until July 1, 2013, to move their data{{cite news|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2416677,00.asp|title=Google Reader Bites the Dust. Who's Next?|work=PC Magazine|date=March 15, 2013|access-date=March 16, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.ca/2013/03/powering-down-google-reader.html|title=Official Google Reader Blog: Powering Down Google Reader|publisher=Googlereader.blogspot.ca|date=March 13, 2013|access-date=March 20, 2013}} and suggested: "If you want to retain your Reader data, including subscriptions, you can do so through Google Takeout."{{cite news|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/powering-down-google-reader.html|title=Powering Down Google Reader|journal=Official Google Reader Blog|author=Alan Green, Software Engineer|date=March 13, 2013}}

After the closure announcement, Feedly said that more than 500,000 new users had joined them in the following 48 hours,{{cite web|url=http://blog.feedly.com/2013/03/15/priorities-keeping-the-site-up-and-adding-new-features|title=Priorities: Keeping the site up, listening and adding new features|publisher=Blog.feedly.com|date=March 15, 2013|access-date=March 20, 2013}} and 3 million in the following two weeks.{{cite web|url=http://blog.feedly.com/2013/04/02/announcing-the-new-feedly-mobile-and-welcoming-3-million-reader-refugees|title=Announcing the New Feedly Mobile|publisher=Blog.feedly.com|date=April 2, 2013|access-date=May 23, 2013}} Likewise, NewsBlur's subscriber base immediately rose from about 1,500 users to over 60,000.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/03/22/feedly-winning-on-mobile/|title=Google Reader Who? Feedly Became Top News App On iPhone, iPad & Android This Week; New App Now Awaiting Approval|publisher=TechCrunch|date=2013-03-22}}{{cite web|url=http://blog.newsblur.com/post/45632737156/three-months-to-scale-newsblur|title=Three Months to Scale NewsBlur|author=Samuel Clay|publisher=The NewsBlur Blog|date=2013-03-17}}

In response to the planned closure, Digg also announced plans to build a Google Reader replacement, rebuilding its API and adding features to take advantage of the implicit recommendations of social network activity.{{cite web|url=http://blog.digg.com/post/45355701332/were-building-a-reader|title=Digg Blog: We're building a reader|publisher=blog.digg.com|date=March 13, 2013|access-date=April 17, 2013|archive-date=May 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504034450/http://blog.digg.com/post/45355701332/were-building-a-reader|url-status=bot: unknown}}

Several petitions were started to keep Google Reader running, including one on Change.org with over 100,000 signatures.{{cite web|url=https://thenextweb.com/google/2013/03/15/petition-to-save-google-reader-passes-100000-signatures-but-dont-expect-google-to-reverse-its-decision|title=Petition to save Google Reader passes 100,000 signatures, but don't expect Google to reverse its decision|work=The Next Web|date=15 March 2013 }}

Instapaper developer Marco Arment speculated that the real reason for the closure was to try to keep everyone reading and sharing information using the now defunct Google+, and that it signaled the end of the era of unrestricted and interoperable web services like RSS from large organizations like Google, Facebook, and Twitter.{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcolabs.com/3013890/reader-may-have-died-to-feed-googles-apis|title=Reader May Have Died To Feed Google+'s APIs|work=Fast Company|date=July 3, 2013|access-date=July 8, 2013}}

Enthusiasts re-created a work-alike replacement called "The Old Reader."{{cite web |title=Product Tour |url=https://theoldreader.com/pages/tour |website=The Old Reader |access-date=3 August 2019}}

In 2022, Techdirt called the discontinuation of Google Reader "one of the defining moments in the shift from a more distributed, independent web to one that is controlled by a few large companies."{{Cite web |last=Masnick |first=Mike |date=2022-06-03 |title=The Internet Can Still Be Small And Nice, But It's On All Of Us To Make That Work |url=https://www.techdirt.com/2022/06/03/the-internet-can-still-be-small-and-nice-but-its-on-all-of-us-to-make-that-work/ |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=Techdirt |language=en-US}}

Reader's interface evolved several times from an early version, described by a Google designer who helped work on the revision as a "river" of news,{{cite web|url=http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-06-02-n56.html|title=Kevin Fox of Gmail & FriendFeed on User Experience Design - Google Blogoscoped|publisher=blogoscoped.com|first=Philipp|last=Lenssen|access-date=May 29, 2009}} to various experiences optimized for a wide range of devices, from browsers to the Wii video game console.{{cite web|url=http://www.zdnet.com/blog/google/google-launches-google-reader-for-the-wii/557|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006002633/http://www.zdnet.com/blog/google/google-launches-google-reader-for-the-wii/557|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 6, 2010|title=Google launches Google Reader for the Wii|publisher=ZDNet|first=Philipp|last=Lenssen|access-date=May 29, 2009}}

In late 2008, Google Reader had a significant upgrade to its user experience and design. Led by Google designer Jenna Bilotta, the interface now included a cleaner visual style, collapsible navigation, "Friends" navigation, the ability to hide unread counts, and feed bundles.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2008/12/square-is-new-round.html|title=Square is the new round.|publisher=googlereader.blogspot.com|first=Jenna|last=Bilotta|access-date=December 4, 2008}}

Some of the features of Google Reader in 2013 were:

• a front page that let one see new items at a glance.
• automatic marking of items as read as they scrolled past (expanded view only).
• keyboard shortcuts for main functions.
• choice between list view or expanded view for item viewing (showing either just the story title or including a description, respectively).
• import and export subscription lists as an OPML file.
• search in all feeds, across all updates from subscriptions.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2007/09/we-found-it.html|title=We found it!|publisher=googlereader.blogspot.com|first=Mihai|last=Parparita|access-date=September 5, 2007}}

Users could subscribe to feeds using either Google Reader's search function, or by entering in the exact URL of the RSS or Atom feed. New posts from those feeds were then shown on the left-hand side of the screen. One could then order that list by date or relevance. Items could also be organized with labels, as well as being able to create "Starred Items" for easy access.

From 2007 to 2011, items in Google Reader could be shared with other Web users. Previously this was done by sending a link through e-mail, directing the user to the shared article; or by creating a basic webpage that includes all shared items from a user's account. In December 2007, Google changed the sharing policy so that items the user marked as shared were automatically visible to their Google Talk contacts.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2007/12/reader-and-talk-are-friends.html|first=Chrix|last=Finne|title=Reader and Talk are friends!|publisher=Google Reader Blog|date=December 14, 2007}} Users criticized this change because there was no way to opt out.{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/group/google-reader-howdoi/browse_thread/thread/318c4559e2ac5bbe/e2a7a7d782571c38|title=New Feature: Sharing with Friends|publisher=Google Reader Help|date=December 14, 2007}}

Google removed the sharing functionality built into Reader in October 2011, and replaced it with a Google+ +1 button.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-in-reader-fresh-design-and-google.html|first=Alan|last=Green|title=New in Reader: a fresh design, and Google+ sharing|publisher=Google Reader Blog|date=October 31, 2011}} Users criticized this change because it effectively dismantled existing social networks that used these features and disabled sharing and publishing functions that served as a communications medium for Iranians seeking news sources that couldn't be blocked by the government.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/10/25/iranians-upset-over-google-reader-changes|title=Iranians Upset Over Google Reader Changes|publisher=TechCrunch|first=Sarah|last=Perez|date=October 25, 2011}}

The Google+ +1 button and count of how many people liked an article were removed in March 2013 shortly after the announcement that Google Reader would be discontinued.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}}

Google Reader was the first application to make use of Google Gears, a browser extension that let online applications work offline.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html|title=Oh Sam I Am, Can I read it on the tram?|publisher=googlereader.blogspot.com|first=Chris|last=Wetherell|access-date=May 31, 2007}}

Users who installed the extension could download up to 2000 items to be read offline. After coming back online, Google Reader updated the feeds. Google Reader stopped supporting this feature in June 2010.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2010/05/spring-cleaning-comments-offline-and.html|title=Spring Cleaning: Comments, offline, and older browser support|publisher=The Official Google Reader Blog|first=Mihai|last=Parparita|access-date=May 24, 2010}}

A mobile interface was released{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2006/05/you-can-now-use-google-reader-from.html|title=Official Google Reader Blog: You can now use Google Reader from your phone.|publisher=Googlereader.blogspot.com|date=May 18, 2006|access-date=Mar 20, 2013}} on May 18, 2006. It could be used by devices that support XHTML or WAP 2.0. On May 12, 2008, Google announced a version of Google Reader targeted at iPhone users.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2008/05/brand-new-google-reader-for-iphone.html|title=Official Google Reader Blog: 'Brand new Google Reader for iPhone'|publisher=Googlereader.blogspot.com|date=December 5, 2008|access-date=March 20, 2013}} in December 2010, Google released a Google Reader app for Android, available from the Android Market.{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2010/11/android-google-reader-app-is-here.html|title=The Android Google Reader app is here!|publisher=Googlereader.blogspot.com|access-date=March 20, 2013}}

On May 4, 2006, Google released a new feature{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2006/05/theres-some-reader-in-my-homepage.html|title=Official Google Reader Blog: There's some Reader in my Homepage!|publisher=Googlereader.blogspot.com|date=April 5, 2006|access-date=March 20, 2013}} which enabled feeds from Reader to be displayed on iGoogle (formerly Google Personalized Homepage).

In March 2010, Google announced{{cite web|url=http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2010/03/and-now-for-something-completely.html|title=Official Google Reader Blog: And now for something completely different|publisher=Googlereader.blogspot.com|date=October 3, 2010|access-date=March 20, 2013}} and released{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/reader/play|title=Google Reader Play|access-date=March 20, 2013}} Google Reader Play. Play presented a slideshow interface which displayed popular items one at a time. These items were drawn from assorted sites' feeds, and their appearance in Play was based on the data provided by Reader users' responses, e.g. how many people liked or shared the item. Unlike Google Reader, a Google Account was not required to access Play.

{{reflist|3}}

Google

• {{official website|https://reader.google.com|Google Reader}} – official site

Unofficial

• [https://code.google.com/p/pyrfeed/wiki/GoogleReaderAPI Google Reader API]
• [https://metacpan.org/module/WebService::Google::Reader Perl interface to Google Reader]

Elsewhere

• [https://www.theverge.com/23778253/google-reader-death-2013-rss-social Who killed Google Reader? Ten years after …] on TheVerge

{{Google LLC}}

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Category:News aggregators

Reader

Category:Internet properties established in 2005

Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2013