I failed to realize what Google Reader was for the longest time. I only discovered the RSS feed fiasco when I blogged about it in 2009. I used to bookmark all of my favorite blogs, click on their website once a day to see if they updated their website. There’s a feature out there on google (or gmail) that will update all of your favorites in bold when they have updated their site!
Here, let me explain with photos. That’s always easier. First we’ll start with google. Maybe you have to have a gmail account, maybe not. I’m not exactly sure. Let’s pick a favorite blog you read daily. Sayyyyy it’s mine. Ahhh ha ha! There’s multiple ways you can subscribe to a blog. I’ll show you a few ways. I realize the photos are tiny, but all the images can be clicked to enlarge.
Option #1: The orange RSS icon circled in red. Click it.
Option #2. Clicking the URL bar. You’re just going to have to believe me that some blogs have it up in the URL address bar. I recently upgraded FireFox, and they must’ve taken that icon away from my blog. I don’t know where it is. But it usually just has the same type of icon that is in Option #1. lol blog fail.
Option #3. The side bar entries RSS. (Psst, this is my other website: Locupleto!)
Option #4. Using Meg’s site as a reference. This one is so easy and basically the same as the one listed above.
Okay. That’s enough options. All options bring you to the same page. Simple, right? It brings you to a page that looks like this. Click “Add to Google Reader”.
Once you click it it’ll bring you to your reader page that looks like this below. Mine is full of blogs! The bold means you haven’t read the entry yet and the numbers means how many entries the blogger wrote since you last read! You can even hit “mark all as read” if you’re overwhelmed by the amount of items you’ve yet to read!
How to access your google reader? Either google.com:
or through your gmail e-mail account:
Got the jist? It’s easy, just look for an orange RSS feed button, or text that says RSS/Subscribe.
Have I taught you something new? I hope so! I mentioned to Stephanie about it at the Blogger party and she had no idea! She was bookmarking her fav sites all the freaking time. How time consuming :) Want to know why I read (or unsubscribe from) your blog?
3 Comments
I totally remember when I subscribed to my first RSS feed what a feeling of revelation it was and how much time could be saved by not visiting non-updated sites! One thing that slightly annoys me now, though, is truncated RSS feeds (even though I do it). Sometimes I just don’t feel like going to your site to read! But I do understand their purpose… ;)
SO time consuming. How did I not know about this?? lol
Today I signed into Google Reader, grabbed a tea and ahhhh….
I hate subscribing…how weird is that? LOL. I don’t know, I actually like going to each website and checking out their design, their sidebar, old posts etc.
Nancy says: Some sites actually make you visit their page even if you’re viewing it in Google reader. It’ll only give you half a paragraph and you have to finish the rest on their site (pet peeve lol). But you should sign up! You can’t comment through google reader, you actually have to go to their site, so you DO see what their site looks like etc.