I love Google Reader


This laptop had Intel Inside. The IED didn't care.

The internet Nazis that lord over our net connection have been hard at work lately, thwarting morale by blocking access to certain sites. While some restrictions like pornography and gambling sites are reasonable, their recent crusade has attacked web mail, gaming, and my personal blog. That’s right. It’s been several weeks since I viewed my own blog in its native form. It’s also prudent to point out that “gaming” sites doesn’t just include sites with online games, but sites that merely discuss video games like joystiq.com, bungie.net, and majornelson.com. Not viewing my blog doesn’t prevent me from posting, as long as I have email, but I cannot add reply comments, nor view comments.

My Yahoo

Initially I found several work-arounds, but they were picked off one by one like ground squirrels by a varmint hunter. I was almost feeling beaten, until Rapture, the much over-worked webmaster of this site, suggested RSS feeds to keep me updated on the replies to my blog. For those new to RSS, like myself, it stands for “really simple syndication.” Web sites often have their RSS feeds linked on their main page. By using a RSS reader I can have all the new information posted to that site sent to my reader, and I never have to access the site, only the RSS reader. I initially started out with the simple RSS reading features available through My Yahoo. Upon Rapture’s recommendation I quickly transitioned to Google Reader.

Google Reader

I now use Google Reader as my one-stop webpage for all things news and blog related. At best, My Yahoo would only show a snippet of the RSS feed. Google Reader shows the whole feed. Unlike My Yahoo, Google Reader also displays the latest feeds on top so I’m able to track the latest activing in my RSS-feed-osphere.

Google Reader keeps me updated of replies to my personal blog as well as new posts to the New York Times blog. Furthermore, it shows me new comments added to photos on my flickr homepage (I just uploaded new images). One the news side I use it to keep abreast of tech issues through a feed from digg.com, and Yahoo News: Iraq informs me of what the mainstream media is reporting on my current geo-political home. It feels kind of strange to have a Yahoo RSS feed coming into my Google reader, but the Yahoo feed appears to be exactly what I want. Feeds from Joystiq.com and MajorNelson.com satisfy my gaming news addiction.

Remember from above that I cannot directly access many of the sites I am reading RSS feeds from. Flying in the face of the transitive property, I can access Google, Google can access my blog, but I cannot access my blog. Google now acts as a convenient man in the middle, pulling the info I want from restricted sites and displaying it on a site I can access, all customized to my specifications. I know this is old news to many tech-geeks, but I just had to share my enthusiasm with my new-found connectivity.

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March 25th, 2006
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Reader Comments

Comment Number:
1
Written by:
Eric Atkins
Posted on:
March 25, 2006 at 1:33 pm

I think Yahoo is great. They are the “complete” package when it comes to offering web portals and services to internet users. Google has had a ton of hype for a while now and I feel that Yahoo has been left in the shadows. If you need a web service, Yahoo probably has it (games, stocks, calendars, webmail with POP, and so on).

However, Google’s hype is justified. Gmail’s storage, Blogger, and Google Maps are great tools.

Google Reader is my favorite RSS reader. Whether I am at home, work, laptop, or another computer Google Reader knows what I have and have not read. You probably haven’t experienced it yet, Midnight, but after reading an item in Google Reader, the item is marked as read. The read/unread status gets saved to your Google account. If you were able to check your feeds from another machine, your read/unread status would be displayed on the other machine. My Yahoo’s RSS reader doesn’t have a read/unread option.

RSS readers are such a timesaver. I got to where I was spending a lot of time checking various websites for content. Now, I just send 30 or 40 feeds to my Google Reader and check it periodically throughout the day. Talk about saving time and commanding content. I am able to bring the topics and content that matters to me the most to my web browser instead of me going out to find the new content.

I hope Google and Yahoo continue to “feed” off of each other. We’re going to be using some amazing tools in the near future.

And if any WordPress admins have any tips to share I would appreciate an email.

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Slayer
Posted on:
March 25, 2006 at 3:10 pm

Thanks for taking the time to help Midnight, Rapture! I know you are probably a very busy man.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
wormeyman
Posted on:
March 25, 2006 at 4:16 pm

i’m a live.com fan my self but what is their reasoning for blocking access to these sites?

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
dirtyJ
Posted on:
March 25, 2006 at 7:11 pm

Hate to say it man, but I tried to tell rapture that they were on the way to blocking anything and everything relating to gaming across the armed forces satellite internet set up. While I was deployed on the Roosevelt, I had to do some creative surfing just to get to mlgpro.com, much less anywhere else. In the words of one of the tools that work in the navy’s version of IT, “gaming sites are just like porn, only with less women.”…say what? Anyways, it’ll just be that much sweeter when you get back man. :)
DJ

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Spaceant
Posted on:
March 25, 2006 at 8:07 pm

Sounds like there’s no shortage of brain-honing events in Iraq. Glad to know that you remain safe and that your communication links back home are intact.

Comment Number:
6
Written by:
JE
Posted on:
March 25, 2006 at 11:15 pm

Congratulations for the Yankee Can Do answer to morale in your personal blogosphere with Kudos to Rapture for the major assist.

I am not quite understanding the blackout on your blog, however. Have I missed reading something????????????????

Still glad you are able to circumvent with the assistances
afore mentioned. Meanwhile, stay safe and take care.

Comment Number:
7
Written by:
Mintz
Posted on:
March 25, 2006 at 11:35 pm

I’ve been using Google Reader ever since rap posted about it a couple months ago on THX’s forums. I love it. Lots.

Comment Number:
8
Written by:
Sandra
Posted on:
March 26, 2006 at 12:46 pm

I have to say that even after reading your explanation, I’m totally confused LOL These technology things get a bit too complex and weird for me.

As long as you are able to continue with your blog, that’s all that matters.
A question, is that computer what you use to access the internet? LOL Just wondering!!!

Stay safe :)

Comment Number:
9
Written by:
Brick
Posted on:
March 26, 2006 at 4:57 pm

JE - Midnight’s blog is being hosted on hushedcasket.com, which is being blocked as a gaming site.

It’s unfortunate because the site is really just something that Rapture stood up so a group of guys in and around Huntsville, Al could keep in touch. The group came together back when Halo lanning was really hot in the area, so a lot of conversation on the site centers on gaming…particularly Halo and X-Box topics.

Midnight is really a core part of the group, and thanks to the Internet, has managed to remained so despite getting himself shipped off to California and then Iraq. The filters suck because they are making it harder to keep in touch.

I wonder if this sort of thing happens to other people over there, or if this is pretty much an isolated instance.

- Brick

Comment Number:
10
Written by:
JE
Posted on:
March 26, 2006 at 10:17 pm

Brick - Thanks for the input/enlightenment! There was a blogger some time ago but the name escapes me now, who said he could not access his own blog! So apparantly not unique. He did not seem to have any idea as to why. But this may be the cause, with similar hosting arrangements.

Comment Number:
11
Written by:
Xyane
Posted on:
March 31, 2006 at 6:52 pm

If you can download Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta, it includes a similar reader like Google. It also allows you to view all blog feeds and the comments left for you.
I think it’s cool. Also if you use the personalized Google homepage, you can download a module that will allow you to read all your BLOGS on you Google start up page. You will find this module under the add more content tab.

Xyane.

Comment Number:
12
Written by:
Reverend
Posted on:
April 2, 2006 at 6:53 pm

Xayne, as Jeff posted above “Not viewing my blog doesn’t prevent me from posting, as long as I have email, but I cannot add reply comments, nor view comments”, he cannot post replies to your’s or anyone elses posts.

Comment Number:
13
Written by:
Xyane
Posted on:
April 2, 2006 at 9:54 pm

REVEREND: One of us is reading this incorrectly. The statement you are refering to is about Yahoo reader. With Google Reader, he see’s replies to his personal BLOG and also coments ftom his Flikr account. Below is from the same post you are refering to.
Xyane.

Google Reader keeps me updated of replies to my personal blog as well as new posts to the New York Times blog. Furthermore, it shows me new comments added to photos on my flickr homepage (I just uploaded new images).

Comment Number:
14
Written by:
Xyane
Posted on:
April 2, 2006 at 10:07 pm

Hey ALL. I think I may have upset JEFF by saying something that offended him. I am not exactly sure. I also know he is busy and has had issues with replies. I have sent him prior email that he usually tries to respond to, even if it is a short reply. He has not responded to the last email or two that I have sent. That is a bit unusual. I do not want to bring his regular readers into it. I thought I should give an explanation for my postings. If you read above it seems to me that he can read my comments here. I will try sending an email to him, just to be sure.

The following is for Jeff directly.

Jeff, if I have said something that offened you, or something that you did not agree with, please let me know. My email address is registeed with the web master if you can reply. I would still like to send you a couple of items. I need to know if you need them. If this has been a misunderstanding, and you get this, please email me. I will send another email to the normal address. Sorry for any trouble I have caused. I hope I hear from you soon. Take care & be safe! Xyane.

Comment Number:
15
Written by:
Eric Atkins
Posted on:
April 3, 2006 at 12:01 am

Xyane: Jeff can send and receive email just fine from his email accounts. He gets all of the email you send to him.

Please let this be the last time you use the comment system to contact Jeff.

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