Sigh. I thought I'd found my new reader...heading into the twilight of Google Reader, I sampled two or three and finally landed at the Old Reader. It had some glitches but, hey, it was ok. I could read the blogs right there. I could skip the ones I'd already read. I was happy.
But apparently it was too much of a good thing. Too many folks signed up and, in trying to make it work, it all fell apart. The site owners got it working again, but decided life is too short to deal with such things (who can blame them?) and they're going private.
Basically, they've decided to take it back to the small level of users they had before the Google influx.
Which means my account won't make the cut.
Looks like I'm back to bloglovin'...which I don't love...but at least looks to be as permanent as these things can possibly be.
This comes on the heels of the winds of change over at Stitchers Guild. I haven't been hanging out there too much lately...data base migration and all...but that community also looks to be a victim of its own success.
Which all makes me wonder if all this connection is really feasible; really...how much longer can we expect all this open space to be free? Folks labor long and deal with all kinds of life inconvenience for really very little return...while those of us who use their services barely even know their names. We might send them some money from time to time, and we cheerfully thank them for their expertise, but I can't fault any one who's been sacrificing family time, personal time, sleep and finances to keep the site up who finally says, 'It's just not worth the hassle anymore.'
I didn't miss a reader before I had one; now I'm griping that I don't like the reader I seem to be stuck with.
First world problems, eh?
Don't misunderstand me...I love the connections I've made via the internet and the incredible inspiration that has come from the blogs I read and the contributors to the sites I frequent...or at least, frequent when I get a chance to frequent. ;-) But it comes at a cost.
And maybe, just maybe, the cost is higher than any of us is willing to admit.
Just sorta thinking out loud here....
I learned to love Bloglovin after a while, it might be ok for you. Yeah, working for free is a problem. I had a spammer on my blog who needed 20 minutes of my time to solve his/her problems this evening: they'd signed up to follow comments and now wanted off the list! Sorry, I don't know how to get rid of my spam on Mr/Mrs Spammer's email. LOL No, I didn't make any nasty remarks either.
ReplyDeleteI salute your decorum and restraint! ;-) I might not've been so kind...spammers annoy me greatly....before the internet, if I didn't want Spam, I just didn't buy it...lol...
DeleteLisa, I have often had some of the same thoughts. I tip my hat to those who run a lot of the sites that I visit on a regular. Hopefully Bloglovin will become second nature to you very soon.
ReplyDeleteStill struggling; I wish I could read all of a post in the feed instead of clicking through. And then having to remove the 'frame' so I can comment. And skipping the feeds that I have not subscribed to that they throw in the midst of the ones I do want...but, yeah, the daily digest is kinda nice. Not sure it makes up for the rest. But, hey, it's free, so I'm complaining??? ;-)
DeleteI didn't use a reader at all and now kinda like Bloglovin. I was afraid that the dashboard would go away at blogger and then what would I do - that's why I signed up for bloglovin.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been at SG much lately either but I'm so sorry to hear of the troubles there. Whenever I need info from a sewing list that's where I head...sure hope they get it all sorted out soon!
Can I just say that Blogger needs to move that 'delete' button way far away from the 'reply' button? Almost lost your comment! And I need to preserve every comment I get! ;-)
DeleteI'm pulling for SG, too. I've gotten so much good info there that I really hope a good compromise can be found that will support the ones who work so hard on it and keep it open and available as it has been.
Fortunately, it looks like someone's going to take over The Old Reader and it will continue. I was in the same boat as you, hoping that they wouldn't really go private.
ReplyDeleteI left Stitchers' Guild a while ago for unrelated reasons but from what I have read on people's blogs, the direction that it is going doesn't sound great...
Oh, Laura, I hope you're right on that; I'd grown rather fond of OR. Just not bonding w/BL...
DeleteRe SG...I need to really read through the posts and see what direction it's heading; just haven't had the chance yet (data dump happened this morning...halfway through the migration!). Change usually stirs up things; I really enjoy the sewing expertise that is on SG so I am hoping the dust will settle out well. But it is a boatload of work and I totally understand the wearification of it all for the folks responsible for keeping it all maintained, and if it becomes too big of a load, there may be necessary adjustments....
I blog with blogger, and read with feedly.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get very far in my look at Feedly; if OR really does go away I may go give it a closer look...
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