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Tech Thursday, March 14th 2013 at 4:35 pm

Sad About Google Reader? Don’t Switch to FeedDemon Because It’s Dying Too

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With news breaking about Google Reader going the way of the dodo and the pharaoh, now comes the wash of panic as we desperately search for a replacement for our daily web feeds. There’s already a few alternatives out there, and maybe something great will step up to fill the void, but here’s where you shouldn’t turn: FeedDemon, the popular free Windows-based RSS Reader, because it’s going away, too. In the words of its creator, “it’s time for FeedDemon to die.”

Nick Bradbury was already struggling to keep it going. Here’s what he had to say yesterday on his blog:

FeedDemon stopped “paying the bills” a while ago, so I took a full-time job elsewhere and haven’t been able to give FeedDemon the attention it deserves.

Then today came the news that Google Reader is shutting down on July 1. FeedDemon relies on Google Reader for synchronization, and there’s no decent alternative (and even if there were, it’s doubtful I’d have time to integrate with it, at least not without trading time away from my family – which I won’t do).

He helpfully points out that if you used FeedDemon without Google Reader synchronization, then you can still use it “for years to come.” That said, why would you? Gross.

In the meantime, we’re all just going to have to look elsewhere for our daily web feed fix.

(via FeedDemon, images courtesy of Wikipedia)

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  • Jennifer Barnes

    I will continue to use my desktop client and mobile phone app. We can always visit the original source. People act like all the sites using RSS feeds will be closed down. Settle down. Go outside.

  • Jeff LaSala

    Quite right, Jennifer. Individuals don’t panic so much. People do.

  • AnnM

    Such a shame. If there Feed Demon for iPhone/iPad existed, it would be the #1 RSS Reader.

  • Anonymous

    “Why would you?”

    Maybe for the exact reason why people are mad that Google Reader is going away: because it’s going away. Google is unilaterally taking it away. I have no choice in the matter. Presumably if I install software (oh, I know, that’s so 20th century) on my desktop, it can’t be removed by a greedy overlord.

    “Gross?” WTF?

  • Rollin Bishop

    Ignoring the fact that this is something of a joke, let’s go ahead and dive in here: The point is that FeedDemon is so reliant on the Google Reader structure that he’s closing up shop when Google Reader is going down. That seems… pretty telling of how good it is without Google Reader synchronization.