Are You a Google Reader-er?

I'm a little dim.

(Yes, I know I also claim to be a genius. Which I am. But I'm also alternately quite dim.)

I heard about Google Reader--like um--a year ago. And I went in and set it up, (I believe you have to have a "gmail" account. Which you should have anyway. Get with 00's!) and then I never finished setting it up, and I never looked at it again. Until recently.

Here's the poop: Google Reader lets you enter all the blogs (or websites) you read, then it shows you when thoses sites have been updated. Automatically. So you no longer have to click through your endless list of friend and family blogs, looking for new posts. They're automatically posted in one place and all you have to do is keep Reader open. (Not that I ever wasted time in such a fashion.)

Here's what to do:

• Sign up for a gmail account. If you want, I'll send you an invitation. Don't panic! You don't have to close your Yahoo or Hotmail account! You can just have TWO accounts. Your Gmail will just be a BONUS account!!! (Di!) :)


• Sign up for Google Reader. (Type "Google Reader" into your Google search box and it'll take you where you need to go. I believe it's www.google.com/reader)


• Copy and paste the addresses of all the blogs you read into the "Add Subscription" box. This is the most time consuming part. It took me, um, about three weeks. (Well not quite that long.) But it's saving years of my life now.


• Make Google Reader one of the Tabs on your Desktop. Or add it to your Google Homepage. (You have a Google Homepage, RIGHT????)

That's it. If you have it as a tab, a little number will show up in parentheses when you have a new blog post (or 12) to read.

Now, I am NOT the best person to be dispensing geeky advice like this since I do NOT have mad computer skillz and this took me a year to figure out. But if you need help, I'll try. (Though I recommend you ask your computer geek brother for help. That's what I always do.)

One last plug: You know those people (Jen Ross) who only blog periodically and with no rhyme or reason? (Until you find out they had Bells Palsy?!) Well, with Google Reader, you don't have to keep checking their blog only to be annoyed by lack of updates. You'll know when they post because Google Reader will tell you. Just like an e-mail showing up in your in-box.

Brilliant, eh? Even stupid geniuses like me can be smart sometimes!

Just thought I'd share the love! Go forth and READ!

P.S. Do you already use Reader and love it? Or is there another feed stream you subscribe to? Inquiring minds want to know!