Soon after Google announced that it is shutting down Google Reader, Digg announced they are going to fill the void and build a new RSS feed reader.
With Google Reader closers tons of people are predicting the demise of RSS.
Popular CNET columnist Ben Parr wrote today that there’s “no place in the modern world” for RSS. Heck, Steve Gilmore wrote about RSS descending into irrelevance on TechCrunch back in 2009. Both guys talk about how they no longer check their news feeds because Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ bubble up all the news that’s important to read.
Dave Winer, the guy who created the technology that gave us RSS and who is largely responsible for its development and growth as a content delivery system says that Google Reader was the wrong way to use feeds:
“I didn’t think the mailbox approach to news was right. Who cares how many unread items there are. I like the river of news approach and I have a very fine set of rivers that keep me well supplied with news and podcasts.”
The Digg team was already planning to build a new feed reader later this year, but after Google’s announcement, the Digg Reader will now be priority one. Betaworks, owners of Digg, started building a new reader today, and they’re asking for our help. They want to build the platform fast and they want input about what we the users want to see in a web 2.o reader.
Digg’s goal for its reader is to help make the Internet a “more approachable and digestible place.”
The plan is to take into account all the reasons people aren’t using feed readers so much anymore. Digg will try to identify and rebuild the best of Google Reader while integrating signals from social networks to create a reader that is smart enough to identify stories that matter more than others.
If you want to add your thoughts about what Digg should do different than Google or to beta test what they’re working on, they’ve provided a sign up form at digg.com/reader with a promise not to spam you.
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