If you’re anything like me, you are likely subscribed to over 100 RSS feeds at this very minute and you spend a good portion of your first visit wondering where to start. This very morning I stared at a page of updates a mile long and I realised that I just wasn’t getting enough out of my reader. It was time to tackle the problem head on.
So, if you’ve got a ton of RSS subscriptions and you want to get yourself sorted out, I have listed some of the best below. I’ve also included a bit of information on how each one works and a link to a useful How To guide to make your life easier.
Google Reader
The indomitable Google has put its fingers in every pie known to online man and they have, of course, got an extremely popular Google Reader for you to enjoy. This is the one I’ve been using and, I must admit, I haven’t found it very useful but that has changed thanks to this helpful guide from Mashable.
Google Reader has plenty of extra features that have been added along the way and also boasts plugins generated by users that can really transform how you use it. You can even read it on your Wii.
Bloglines
Bloglines is really easy to get people into, you can pop a subscribe via button on your website/blog and your readers are sorted out in seconds. Not only that, you can import and export subscriptions, transform your list of blogs into a blogroll and there are several ways you can share and publish what you read. For me, this is a far superior service to Google Reader but, as always, this is down to personal choice.
If you’d like to get an in-depth tutorial on how to get the most out of your Bloglines then simply click here!
Netvibes
Netvibes is another name that you’ve likely heard during your days on the web, this is a very popular service. You can customise the site really well and use widgets to structure the information and layout to a format that suits your needs. It will work well for people who don’t have thousands of feeds to burn and want that little bit more creativity in how they can read them.
For a lovely tutorial that will take you through some nifty Netvibes tricks amble along to the Netvibes blog.
FeedDemon
This particular feeder is quite brilliant to use and very customisable. It offers you a clean interface that you can adapt and modify to suit your style, plus you can literally dive in and start using it without having to go through lengthy tutorials. It has loads of features and is easy to navigate – a huge plus for anyone who has limited time to check their feeds and cherry pick the news they want to read.
For more information on how to get the most out of your FeedDemon then eHow have got some nice and tasty answers for you.
Hopefully one of these readers will enchant and amaze you, and rescue you from drowning under a sea of feeds. However, if you’ve read this and thought, “hey! She missed a brilliant RSS reader” then please, please do tell me about it here! I can just as easily add new ones to the mix.
