Feedly...Feedly...Feedly

In the spring, I was super excited here about moving my Google Reader to Feedly.

Until yesterday.

My Feedly was empty.  Sheer panic!  

And yes! I did transfer to Bloglovin, just in case, like I promised and all of my subscriptions are there.  However, I have to admit, I am a Feedly girl.  

The layout and styling and organization just "fit" better.

I decided to hunt around. IF you did not transfer your google reader by July 1st?  Do not fear!   You can still download your google reader information until July 15th, 2013 via Google Takeout.

I downloaded the files to my computer. It is a large zip drive.

Then I went to My Feedly.

I chose Import OPML.

Browsed for my subscription files on my computer. 

(your google takeout zip drive under subscriptions.xml)

 and imported the files.

I timed it.  It took about 2 minutes.

I almost cried and kissed the computer when the all arrived!

(I do have more than the screenshot shows up above, that is just a taste)

Hope this helps out anyone who might have ran into the same problem!

Feedly

By now, most of you already know Google Reader is disappearing as of July 1, 2013 if you see the buzz on blogs!  So funny to me because Google thinks we don't use it and it is all I see in my feeds since it was announced!!!  I think you all know that I loved it so much for the organizational aspect!

No worries though! There are alternatives!  USA Today had their top four choices HERE.

I narrowed it down to Bloglovin and Feedly. 

 I went with Feedly.

Why?

•  I liked the easy transfer. I did not even have to download my Google reader file to my computer. It just asks permission to access Google.
• It not only transferred everything.  It also kept my organization files.  The left side has all of my categories still!!
• It is very appealing to the eye.  Each post now shows a photo to the left of the post.  In Google reader, it was just the title of the post.
• I picked up on the navigation within seconds.  I found the "mark as read" right away because sometimes I don't need to read certain blogs...just look at the eye candy.
• I love how it shows featured posts at the top, but still has all of the posts that I have not read.
• It feels like a magazine!  It even says so on the home login page!  I find it ironic because Mr. Boss thinks I am stalking people when I read blogs.  My response to him is that  I feel like I am just reading my magazines electronically.  All the quilting trends are there!  A great alternative to 25 printed magazines. right? 

I will admit.  I am not sure how to add new blogs and how to make new organizational groups.

 I did find a great link for Google Readers to migrate to Feedly easier HERE.

The biggest issue for me?   I need to take a hard look at all of the blogs I follow.  I am in over my head at 946.  

Ouch!

Good luck and let me know why you think another alternative might be better.  It isn't set in stone for me.  I have a few friends trying different ones at the same time. I just don't want to go crazy, myself!

My biggest worry is that it keeps asking me permission to access my Reader.  I am worried that something is going to go very wrong in July.  I admit, I saved my reader files to my computer, just in case.  However, Feedly did address the issue here:

I just hope they are right!

 

EDITED TO ADD:  I just found this interesting article and it confirms that Feedly was the right choice for me.  But please take a look at it's comparison of the two HERE to see which might fit you the best!

Google Reader: A Tutorial

I have used the term Google Reader several times on my blog and a few times I have been emailed the question...

"What is this Google Reader you keep talking about and why do you have 900 posts to read?"

GOOD QUESTION!!!

I didn't discover Google Reader until I happened to click on it about six months ago. I have decided to share what I have figured out on my own.  How to organize all the blogs you follow, how to subscribe to new ones that don't have a "Follow" button, and some other cool features!

A Google Reader How-To!

First off, if you were like me, you followed blogs on your Google Blogger page.

You would scroll down through them, hoping you didn't miss a blog!  And if you were like me? I would miss ALL of the good ones!!!

Stop the madness!!!!!!!

Go ahead...click it...I dare you!!!!!

When you do?  You will see something like this.

You will see the title Blogs I'm following and you will see ALL of the blogs you have been following listed from most recent post on down to the least. 

Now you could just stop right there and call it a day.  When you scroll down each one and read them, they are removed from your reader and you know you have finished them all!

ORGANIZING YOUR GOOGLE READER

But, of course, I have a way you can organize your blogs into folders like these.

I adore doing it this way because if I can quickly assess where the bulk of my reading is!  I can also just skip my Loss blogs for the day if I am just not in the mood...especially if I notice that I have 283 to read in the Quilts Folder (and this is live last night by the way!)

To make your folders, click the little arrow (on the right side) next to the Subscriptions.  Then click "Manage subscriptions".

You will see this.  You will notice the top blog does not have any "tag" under it like the others and it says "Add to a Folder".  This is how yours will look when you first open your google reader for the first time!  Don't worry, easy next step...click "Add to folder" or "Change folder"

There is "New folder..." at the bottom...get busy and start naming your folders.  I have just added Long Arm Quilters and Quilt Bees, but plan to add some more this weekend to break up all of my quilt blogs!   When you have all the folders named, you simply click the name and a check mark will appear next to it.

Now when you click on your arrow next to your folder, it will open and you will see all of your blogs that you categorized together.

If you aren't sure and want to change a folder, you don't have to go to manage subscription.

You simply click on the blog arrow on the right and the folders will pop up on the side.  Just click or unclick the folder you would like it in!

Now...what does this all mean?

It means that when you click on the blog in the right column, that blog will appear in the top header and all of the posts that you haven't read from that blog can be read all in a row....

(shhhhhh!! Don't tell Rachel that I am four posts behind!!!!)

As you click through, each blog post will open. Some bloggers show their WHOLE post in reader, some require you to click on the link (which can be clicked at ANYTIME to see the post on their blog).  

Fun right?  Want to see some more?

GOOGLE READER PLAY

I recently found out about Reader Play 

You click on your FOLDER's arrow on the right. At the bottom you simply click Reader Play

 And you can see the posts in this manner.  I haven't quite gotten the hang of it, so I am not quite sure if this works for me...but I plan to play with it a bit more in the future!

HOW TO SAVE A BLOG POST FOR LATER

Is there a blog post that you want to reference again.  A tutorial that you really want to make?  Want to read a post a bit more thoroughly? Sure, you can use just pin it on Pinterest, but here is another trick.

"Star" it!  Next to each blog post there is an empty star.  All you have to do is click it and it is saved in your Starred Items.

One last thing!!!!

HOW TO ADD A NEW SUBSCRIPTION

Do you ever come across a blog that you just can't manage to find their "follow" button?  

1.  Click Subscribe
2. Type website...no need for http:// or anything.
3. Click the "Add" button.

Voile!  You are following me.

Hopefully this was a helpful post. If something is confusing, please tell me so!  If you have any questions? 

You know where to find me! I'm the one trying to read the 514 posts that she is behind via computer or iPad or iPhone!

UPDATE:  
Don't have Blogger?  It's okay!!! If you have a Google account, specifically gmail...you can access it too!!!

You just click on the toolbar at the top "More" and then click "Reader".  Everyone has a Reader if you have Google.

And if you don't have Google, there are plenty of other types of readers through other websites.  Usually if you click the RSS feed follow button, the options will show up!!!

Don't be like me and wait almost two years to figure it out, okay?!?!?!?!