Countdown - the end of a (Google) reader

   The clock is ticking.  On July 1, Google will remove support for the RSS aggregator tool, Google Reader.

   In the past I've talked about how I keep up with the vast amount of information and changes in the security and IT fields.  That article focused on podcasts.  Another key tool I use is an RSS aggregator.

   An RSS aggregator is a program used to collect information from online sources.  You "subscribe" to a site (such as this blog), and then notices of new articles are automatically brought into the aggregator.  The power of the tool is that you can organize your subscriptions by categories you choose.  You can then quickly browse new articles by category.

   There are also browser plug-ins that make subscribing to information even easier.  I use RSS Icon in Firefox.  Whenever I read a webpage, if there is a blog or other content available for subscription via RSS, the RSS icon appears in the address bar.  Clicking on that helps me add new feeds to my aggregator.

   Like many people, I had used Google Reader.  When Google announced earlier this year that support for Reader would end, I started looking for a new tool to use.  Here's a recent article listing a number of choices.

   I chose to switch to Feedly. 

It easily imports subscriptions from Google Reader.  It has a very clean layout both in a browser or a mobile app.  In fact, now that I've been using Feedly for a couple of months, I find that it's even easier to add new subscriptions that it was with Reader.

   Feedly has added a ton of new users.  And with this added attention, the Feedly folks aren't just sitting back but are adding new features.  Finally, if you are moving from Reader to Feedly, here is a good list of tips.

   Are you a Reader user?  If so, to what RSS tool are you switching?