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Google Reader improves sharing options  (View post)

Zim [PersonRank 10]

Thursday, July 16, 2009
14 years ago6,687 views

Now you can choose people to follow, not only from your friends and set groups. I'll grab a couple of screenshots now and post them.

Zim [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/1463/searchppl.jpg
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/9003/notifications.jpg
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/6774/shareoptions.jpg

Haochi [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

The "like" option is new right?
I never would have thought that there would come a day that Google copies Facebook (not that there's anything new about that particular feature).

Caleb E [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

This is cute:

http://blog.minivishnu.net/post/142446954

If you can't figure out how to trigger it (spoiler alert, of course):

http://bit.ly/EnP5

Zim [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

[put at-character here]Haochi: Yes, the "like" is new too! I've just saw it.
Now I'm wondering how can we centralize this "likes" in one place..

[put at-character here]Caleb E: That was present time ago! :)

Jérôme Flipo [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

[put at-character here]Zim
"how can we centralize this 'likes' in one place": http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/like

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

Ionut: "For more than a year, Google Reader has been struggling to add social features and almost all the new features were contrived, difficult to use and only cluttered the interface."
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2009/07/google-readers-social-evolution.html

Above 7 comments were made in the forum before this was blogged,

Mrrix32 [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

Hope they've got rid of the duplicated posts if someone shares something your already subscribed to.

In a previous update they changed it so that if more than one friend shared something, they where combined into one post, but the original post was there as well. I can remember once having about 4 or 5 copies of the same XKCD comic in my Reader.

Also: Keyboard shortcut for like is [L]

Alistair [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

How can I go about removing this new 'feature' – I don't like the clutter in the posts.

Al [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

How can I switch it off again? I'm not sharing anything, and I don't need to have a counter showing me how many people liked a post. It's only making the interface more cluttered indeed.

Jérôme Flipo [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

I think most users need both a social and a private social reader: Friendfeed and Google Reader complement each other perfectly.

Idem for my use of Facebook (private) and Friendfeed (public).

Every time one of those service tries to get closer to its rival, it loses some of its benefit. The more Facebook tries to become Twitter-like, the less I use it. The more Google Reader will copy Friendfeed, the more I'll use FF.

Obviously, since most Google Reader and Facebook users don't know FF and Twitter, the two giants will try to kill their new competitors by copying their features. But by doing so, they damage their positioning and risk to be perceived as the ones who try but fail to change.

I just hope the people will know and understand the benefits of each tools before the old ones kill the innovative services and damage theirs.

Mrrix32 [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

Personally I use the star feature when I'm flicking through posts to mark things I want to read fully, I think the Like function will probably replace what I do with the Share function.

I'm less likely to use Like for another reason, currently when browsing Reader my hand rests nicely on the keyboard with one finger on S and one on J, placing my thumb on L as well is uncomfortable :P

[put at-character here]Jérôme
In the UK and US I'd have said Twitter was more well known than Facebook

Mark [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

Found it amusing that this article has a relatively large number of "like" votes in Google Reader.

Wayne Elgin [PersonRank 1]

14 years ago #

I agree with @Mrrix32 that the distinction between like and star is personal todo versus public admiration. Sharing conveys interest and obviously a note gives you an opportunity to add your public opinion on the item. The comment system keeps your conversation between friends.

I do agree that the system is not as unified as it should be and the UI needs to be cleaned up, now.

z [PersonRank 1]

14 years ago #

How do I turn this off? I have no intention of ever using Google Reader for social purposes, and this makes it cluttered and another step toward ruining a great product.

Joe [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

Most of Google's official blogs use Feedburner's official feedflare "Digg This!"
Right below is also Reader's "Like". Shouldn't one be enough?

Asm [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

I'm quite thoroughly annoyed with the "$1 people liked this" feature. I don't give a crap about what other people like or don't like, and the fact that you can't turn it off is ridiculous.

schultzter [PersonRank 1]

14 years ago #

I wish Google would fix issues before introducing new features. I still can't Re-share something a contact shared without creating a whole new thread. If I comment or share with a note then the original thread of comments/notes is lost!!!

And what's the difference between starring, sharing, and liking?! Would I star something I don't like, or share something I don't like? Would I like something but want to keep it all to myself?

Charm Quark [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

Agree with Asm – PLEASE LET US TURN OFF the "$1 people liked this" feature (and all the other social features as well).

epathchina [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

yes,it has changed,but i have not try to use them.And now i found google is powerful,so many gadgets supported.

turn off your friends [PersonRank 0]

14 years ago #

Just use the reader & stop whining

Don't link to people if it colludes you

WebSonic.nl [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/22/google-listens-gives-a-friend-only-likes-option-in-reader/

Google Listens, Gives A Friend-Only “Likes” Option In Reader

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