Google Reader - Benefits & Drawbacks - Item 1

After subscribing to a few feeds on Google Reader, I've taken quite a liking to it. The subscriptions I signed up to were: FAIL Blog, xkcd.com, both for a good chuckle. I'm a guy who loves his humour.

I've noticed a couple of benefits while using Google Reader. When I login to Google Reader, it shows how many new posts are online since I last logged in. As I scroll down the page and read each post, the application automatically ticks it as read for me, so I know I'm up to date with the blog when I'm finished. It is a lot more useful than email boxes, how you have to click "read" or click into each one to count it as read.

I looked further into Google Reader since I was interested in this new application, and found some downsides to it. It doesn't update when new material is added to the subscribed material. The updates to Google Reader lags a bit but doesn't take longer than 15 minutes to receive new material.

I also found Google Reader doesn't annotate items, so it's hard to understand some images or videos I receive.

All in all, I would recommend Google Reader to everyone I know who likes to keep an eye on their subscriptions. The Pros out-weight Cons in my opinion. I will stay a Google "Reader" for quite some time now, since I have experienced it's magic.

Syndication

Syndication - is the process of making a summary of a Web site's information available to other Web sites and applications (Information and Content Management, chapter 3, page 2).

Still confused as to what this means? Do you add a Web page to your favourites or bookmarks in your web browser? Do you get updates from Facebook of new messages? What about new emails in your email account inbox from something you've subscribed to? This is all the process of Syndication.

It's all about Web feed. A lot of Web sites contain information that can be updated and clients who are subscribed to that service might want to know when that information is ready to be received.

[more to come...]