One function I really like about Google Reader is that, when I'm signed in, the Google Reader icon on my Google toolbar turns green when there are new posts waiting for me in Reader. Because this exact functionality was not available in Chrome when the Google toolbar stopped being compatible with Firefox (which was also a dick move on Google's part, BTW), I stopped upgrading Firefox at version 10.
I'd really like to duplicate this functionality in whatever I end up replacing Google Reader with, i.e. I'd like a visual cue when there is new reading material waiting for me. I don't need (and would prefer not to have) something that pops up every single time a new post arrives, I just want to be able to know when something new is present so I don't have to keep checking back.
I use Firefox as my primary browser. I'm willing to upgrade my Firefox, but I don't want to switch to Chrome because I'm losing trust in Google.
Can you recommend anything? Or, conversely, have you tried any Google Reader alternatives that don't have this feature so I can avoid them?
5 comments:
I don't have a recommendation (either for this or the router, sadly), but I'm interested in your feelings about Google and your use of Firefox vs Chrome. I stopped using Firefox, because the new Blogger interface behaved badly with it, and because of the Google toolbar issue.
I wish I understood where Google was going. People half-joke about world domination, but there's not much information in that joke.
The thing with Google is so many of their products (search, gmail, etc.) are superior to their competitors, and many others (such as youtube) are the default go-to place for whatever their function is. So we'd be hindering ourselves if we didn't use it.
I also feel like they're getting less responsive in general. In the past, I've reported (or even just blogged!) issues and suggestions, and more often than not they'd be acted on. Hasn't happened in the past year or two.
I've just started using The Old Reader with a safari extension that does what you're looking for. There's also a firefox extension, since obviously the safari one won't work for you :)
I can't speak to all of its features because I'm still waiting for my place in the import line (not sure where I am now. I started at 27,000 a week or so ago, and the last time I checked I was at 8000), so I'm currently only following one blog there.
From what I can tell, though, it looks and feels very similar to Reader (and I think was designed to be like Reader used to be, with the sharing features)
"The thing with Google is so many of their products (search, gmail, etc.) are superior to their competitors, and many others (such as youtube) are the default go-to place for whatever their function is. So we'd be hindering ourselves if we didn't use it."
Right, that's the problem. I think this is called being Facebooked. Users are increasingly unhappy, but that's where everyone is, so they stay.
Of course I meant facebook with a lower-case f, from the generic company thread.
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