In memoriam
Google Reader
Born 7 October 2005. Died 1 July 2013.
Google Reader passed on 1 July 2013, having lived eight years in the service of those who wished to read the internet rather than merely scroll it. Born on 7 October 2005 in Google Labs, he was the creation of engineer Chris Wetherell, who understood that information ought to come to the reader, and not the other way around. At his peak he was the daily companion of journalists, developers, and quiet obsessives the world over. Google cited declining use. No reason was offered that those who depended on him found sufficient. Within days of his death, half a million people had sought a replacement. None has been entirely satisfactory. He was not wrong. He was merely early, and then gone.
We know Reader has a loyal following. We'll continue to offer all export functionality through July 15, 2013 so that you can manage your data.
Discontinued by parent company
Mourned by Journalists, developers, and people who liked knowing what their friends were reading.
The open web, which continues his work in his absence. RSS, the protocol he championed, has lately shown signs of revival.