How Do You Visit Your Virtual Neighbors?
Interesting question and up until recently I would have said that I physically go to my blog pals urls to read their updates. I visit a lot of blogs so you would have thought I would have done something to make this simpler but I wasn’t. That has changed since this week I finally started using an RSS Feed.
I’m using Google Reader? I have to ask myself? Why did it take me so long to do this? I’m loving it. I’m enjoying in immensely. The set up is easy you don’t have to do to much besides register and start adding blogs to your list.
I wish I started using it a lot sooner. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do.
Do you see the image above? I usually have Google Reader open whenever I’m online. How do I do this? I use Firefox, and it allows me to create extra tabs. When I click on the tab it takes me from my current website and I’m transported to the new website. I can go back to my old website whenever I’m ready. The number two lets me know that two people have updated their blogs. Pretty cool, huh? Do you want a closer look?
clicking on the screenshot will take you to a larger picture
Opening the tab shows me that Bush Mackel and Pro Blogger have updated their blogs. I usually keep Google Reader open in a separate window when I have time I stop in and check on those who’ve updated their post. I haven’t had the chance to add everyone to my blogroll but that will be completed by this weekend.
Question: How do you visit your favorite websites?
[tag]Blogging Tips, Google Reader, RSS Feed, Mr. Rogers[/tag]
on July 13th, 2007 at 11:34 am
Welcome to the 21st century! I use bloglines, I too wish I’d started to use a RSS feeder earlier. It’s a must.
on July 13th, 2007 at 11:45 am
RSS. I have so much content coming my way, that I can’t physically go to all the sites. I browse various RSS feeds, pick the stories that sound interesting (yours qualified!), then visit those sites.
I use an offline RSS reader, so it’s just like using offline email. I used to use sharpreader, which is still my favourite, but yesterday I switched to Mozilla Thunderbird (portable apps version) so I can take it with me on my USB drive.
Why not use an online reader? Purely for speed - when I am browsing through hundreds or thousands of entries, Delete, Delete, Delete is so much quicker with an offline reader.
on July 13th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Oh my…I assumed you used a reader! I use Google Reader and it has made things so much easier and then if I feel the need to comment I can go to the site but otherwise I keep tabs of all my sites.
on July 13th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
I used to use the rss reader in Thunderbird, but I reloaded my pc and never set up Thunderbird again. Yahoo Mail Beta has an rss reader. I think I ought to set that up. :-)
on July 13th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
I have updated my site! Hoo hoo! (Thanks for the link).
I looked at a couple readers sometime ago, Google Reader, Thunderbird and Omea (I think that’s the name of it). Anyone interested and search my blog.
But anyway, my friend Brad told me about this thing called Sage. It’s not a separate page or program and integrates nicely into FF and looks just like your bookmarks sidebar. I LOVE IT.
on July 13th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Ok I will admit and please no throwing any stones at me. I do not and have not ever used any reader. I actually go around from site to site. I think it’s more personal and I prefer it.
on July 14th, 2007 at 12:46 am
Sassy - I could not imagine not using a reader. A majority of my feeds are tech feeds, and I try to stay on top of the latest information. I will go to the website if I find the post particulary interesting. I agree that sometimes for the full affect of the post, you need to see it on the site.
I am a fan of Google Reader. I like the layout, and how you are notified of new posts. Now with Google Gears, you have access to your feeds offline.
Opal - I’m not sure if it is new, but I am a big fan of the Notify me of followup comments via e-mail, more blogs should use this option.
on July 14th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Sassy - I don’t use a reader either. I haven’t really looked into them yet but I could see they may have merit if you regularly like to check certain blogs or certain subjects. It sounds like it makes sense for Thomas where he has many technical feeds. I agree with you that it is more personal to visit the websites and that is what I am doing at the moment because I try to get a glimpse of the person writing the blog and that encompasses all the subjects they write about, not just the ones I’m interested in. So, no stones for either of you - just flowers for sharing why the way you “read” sites works for each of you.
on July 14th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
April,
I agree I kept putting it off and now it’s such a time saver. I visit a lot of blogs (at least 100) taking the time to visit every single url ads up very quickly.
Stephen Cronin,
Thanks for stopping by. I’ll have to look into the offline RSS reader.
Beth Ellen,
Surprise! Surprise! I wasn’t.
DragonLady,
What are you waiting for? LOL
Sassy,
No stone throwing here I’m just stating what style I like now, lol I physically go and visit the websites when I see a post that I want to comment on otherwise I read the post through my RSS feed. The comments I’m leaving has more than doubled, since I started using an RSS Feed, I commented a lot before. I average about 25 comments per day. I’m alerted as soon as one of my feeds has been updated, and I can comment.
As much as I would love to I don’t have a lot of time to socialize on blogs so anything that will give me the content in one place is appreciated.
Thomas,
I think I have this enabled on my blog. If not I’ll have to turn it on again.
teenie,
Yes that is why it works for me I check the same blogs often; however, when I make a comment I have to go to the actual blog. You receive a virtual flower also. :-)
on July 14th, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Thanks! Google Reader is great.
on July 16th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
[...] had it for ages”. That’s what I thought too. But I recently read Vegan Momma’s How Do You Visit Your Virtual Neighbors and it seems that there are people who aren’t using RSS yet. If you’re one of those [...]
on July 16th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
[...] The amount of blogs I was visiting was getting out of control. I needed to do something about it. I wasn’t sure how I would keep up with them. This past Friday I wrote about making the switch to Google Reader. [...]