And yea, so we come to the end of the life of Google Reader, beloved by… by…Well, that was kinda the whole problem.
For those unfamiliar, Google Reader is, or rather was, a method of collecting RSS feeds in one place. It was actually a very effective program when it was introduced in 2005, but now Google is unceremoniously taking it out behind the woodshed.
We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader.
This is buried in a long, long list of programs Google is dragging to the trash bin, including Google Cloud Connect, Snapseed, Google Building Maker, and a bunch of other programs that you probably didn’t use.
The truth is that Google Reader has a dedicated cadre of hardcore fans who stuck with the program even after Google forced their entire subscription list to join Google +, a move that enraged the Reader community to the point that some nerds held a “wake” as a protest in front of Google’s offices in Cambridge.
But the reality is, apps like Flipboard (and social networks like Twitter) have made RSS readers a bit redundant. Google Reader has a hardcore community surrounding it, but Google has more important things to support, like laptops that break when you lose your Internet connection and glasses that are so dweeby bars are already banning them.
Still, we’re sure there will be an outpouring of grief — as evidenced below by Hitler’s dismay — followed by being promptly forgotten about. Kinda like LiveJournal.