Before this summer, I wondered about using RSS feeds, but I wasn't sure I wanted them. I have mixed feelings about them. It's the new version of news, where news is "pushed" to readers rather than readers looking for the news they're interested in.
Plus, I'm not sure I want to have tons of "news" being pushed at me when I'm trying to get work done on the computer.
(Any readers are finding out that I really think of my computer mostly as a work tool. I am a writer, and use it for research and word processing. I am a teacher and I use it to put together classroom material. I use the computer to keep in touch with friends.
(I don't necessarily want to have the computer TELLING me what to read and what to buy when I get on it to work! And I don't want to use the screen for all my research and interactions with people. So I like any device or software or app that lets me limit its reach while also getting the most out of it.)
I think Google Reader is a great way to handle this. It's not my homepage, so it's not like I HAVE to look at it every time I turn on the computer.
Advantages to Google Reader: It's handy for me to use when I'm curious if there's something new on a friend's blog. Or on 13 Things! Google reader is the way I've found out about Lisa's new posts, like today's. Now, with RSS, I can find out what's new in the news, or, more likely, see if there's a Fresh Air show I need to listen to :-)
I can also just click on "mark all as read" if I don't want to be bothered with Too Much Information, the scourge of our times. Handy.
So, yes, I'm going to use it--to keep up with areas of interest, both professional and not professional. But some of my fave websites still use email newsletters, Facebook, and twitter instead of RSS, so I'll use other things as well.
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