I usually wait until mid to late January before posting my reading plans or goals. Mainly because I'm very optimistic about my superhuman capabilities during the start of a new year but much of that enthusiasm fades over the next couple of weeks. I tend to believe I can read more than ever but reality is usually closer to how much I averaged in previous years. So, to allow myself the opportunity to dream big and then plan well, I take the ambitious goals for a road test during the first couple of weeks of the year. If they still look achievable, great! If not, I will part ways with those that are a stretch. The numbers I have an arbitrary number set in Goodreads for this year but it's not a number I will quote as I tend to change it often and it is intended to factor in the many picture books I read with my kids. But that said, there are three numbers I would like to improve this year (last year's stats in parentheses) - total number of pages read (approx. 11k), average n
Like everyone else in this world, Google reader's shutdown news has been highly distressing to me. Even though Google had closed quite a few of its services in the past, I had never really worried about Reader because, hey, why would that ever be closed? Who doesn't use RSS? Apparently, not many, it seems. At least, that was the general consensus in the web. If Google doesn't have the whole world using one of its services, then they think it's a candidate for the chopping block. Really, this is ridiculous. If they're closing it because they want more people to start using Google Plus, then they are even more ridiculous. Killing off good products so that crappy ones can survive. 'Nuf said.
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On top of that, I've been having trouble with my feed, at least for my last two posts. I am still using Feedburner, even though many have moved out of it, thanks to strong rumors that Feedburner is also shutting down. After Google Reader, I don't doubt that anymore, and it was just laziness that kept me from shuffling out. Which brings me to the point of this post - which feed subscription service do you use? FeedBlitz? Feedcat? Something else? I checked out FeedBlitz but looks like you have to pay if you want to manage email subscribers, and last I checked my Feedburner page, I had about 80 email subscribers.
I am hoping to migrate during some time this weekend. As for Google reader alternatives, I don't think I like anything yet. I'm hoping that Google will come back saying "April Fool"!
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Another plus is that it is not a search engine, but an app to your computer, so you don't have to download anything else to use it. Check it out
http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Feeds
Good luck, I feel your pain.
As for a Feedburner substitute, for my own blog I'll just use the built-in Wordpress feeds. I don't think I have email subscription turned on for my own feed anyhow. But I have several feeds from my work that need that email subscription, so if you come across anything good, please let us know!
As for Google Reader, I'm soooooo sad about it. I want it back. Nothing I've found yet is quite the same. For the time being I'm using BlogLovin and Feedly.
It is all about Feedly.
seriously, go check it out.. i was unhappy about google reader, but Feedly won me over in about 5 minutes.
imports all of your info from Reader, so it is a cakewalk transition