Skip to main content

Google rolls out Reader redesign, integrated Google Plus sharing

google-reader
Image used with permission by copyright holder

As expected, Google has rolled out its long-awaited redesign to its popular Reader, which includes integrated sharing through Google Plus. The update removes all the original sharing functionality of Reader, like friending, following, shared items, and comments – a move that has upset a surprising number of RSS aficionados.

Recommended Videos

According to Google, the redesign gives Reader a “look and feel that’s cleaner, faster and nicer to look at.” Basically, this means Reader now looks exactly like Gmail, which has received a number of updates over the past couple of years. 

While the new design of Reader – mostly cosmetic, and changes little in terms of functionality – is by far the most noticeable to the casual user, the real change is the new Google Plus sharing functionality. Users can now “+1” stories straight from Reader (which replaces the “Like” option). Anytime a user hits the +1 button, they now have the option to “Share” or “Share with Note” on Google Plus. 

greader_1000

(Click for larger view)

The new sharing features might be good for Google Plus users – and it’s certainly good for Google, which is trying its best to build upon the early enthusiasm for Google Plus – but many hardcore Reader users, a group known as the Sharebros, are highly upset by the deletion of the old social functions, and have even launched a petition to save the old design and functionality. 

“Many of us have been faithful users of your Reader for years,” reads the petition, which was created by grad student Brett Keller. “It’s central to our daily information consumption routines…. Eliminating Google Reader or its features (like following friends’ shared items) is short-sighted because you will alienate some of your most loyal users, sparking a vocal backlash.”

The petition, which according to Mashable has now received more than 10,000 signatures, also states that the Sharebros see the new sharing features “as a backhanded attempt to force us to use Google Plus.” 

So, Google Reader users, what do you think? Is the redesign a welcome change, or simply a corporate plot trick users into contributing more to its flailing social network? Perhaps something in between? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Topics
Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
How to change margins in Google Docs
Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content -- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Read more
What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Read more
Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs
A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.

Read more