Google Reader—How To Subscribe

I know several of you are somewhat new to the blogging world and might not have lots of blogs to currently follow. But the numbers are probably increasing and you might want a better way to keep track of the updates...right??

Maybe not. Maybe you have a system that works perfectly for you, and that's great. (There are lots of options and features out there.) But, as I'm hoping to increase my official blog subscribers I know there are some that I will have to introduce to RSS feeds and, my pick, Google Reader.

Most Web sites that are frequently updated with new content have a feed that you can "subscribe" to so it lets you know when each site has new material. There are several ways to do this; most sites will have some sort of link saying something like Subscribe or RSS. If you click on that it will give you several options to get the site's updates. My favorite, as mentioned, is through Google, called Google Reader, which I honestly think is the most convenient. Almost everybody has a Google account whether it be for Gmail, Google Docs (now has a new name I think), Picasa, etc. So you might as well add on Reader...it's probably inevitable that Google will be taking over the world.

So, go to google.com/reader (or click on the link reading "Reader" on the top of your Gmail or Google account.) If you don't already have Reader set up, this will take to to a Welcome page where you have the option to "Take a Tour" or "Get Started by Adding Subscriptions." If you feel you'd benefit from a tour, go ahead. It's only three pages and only the first is absolutely relevant.

When you are ready to subscribe, click on the appropriate link and you are taken to a starting page. For most of you, only a couple parts of that busy page will be relevant. You most likely will want to start by adding the blogs you currently read.

If you know a little more about the blogging/social media world the "Stay connected to friends & family" section is great for subscribing to specific Blogspot, Wordpress, Flickr, Myspace or even Twitter accounts. If you aren't quite there (or don't understand what that said), proceed below.

At the top left, you'll find a button saying "Add a subscription." I'm explaining this feature because as the number of blogs you read increases, this will likely be how you can continue adding those sites to your blog subscriptions. Click on that button and then type in the address of the site you want to subscribe to.

For example, to subscribe to my blog, type skariann.blogspot.com

The page will then upload, add the new site under "Subscriptions" and list the most recent posts on the site as "Unread."

*Remember, you can also subscribe to any Web site with an RSS feed. For example, to subscribe to my favorite career site, Careerealism, I'd insert careerealism.com. Or to subscribe to a news site like CNN, I'd insert cnn.com. If the site doesn't have a compatible RSS feed, Reader will let you know.

And that's the basic process. Here on my blog in the left column there is also a button that says "Subscribe" and has an RSS button next to it. If you click on that, it will open to a page asking you how to subscribe. If you want to use Google, select that and click "Subscribe Now." Then you can can the feed to your Google home page or to Reader.

Leave a comment or shoot me an email (skariann@gmail.com) if you have any specific questions! Or if you can explain something better than I can!

Here are a selection of some of my recommended blogs (I currently have 136) for you to consider as you continue subscribing:

Family
Christianne Baldwin
Ruthie Ritter
Sister Susie Salisbury (mission blog)

Friends
Gabriel Proulx
Paul Epperson
Jenna and Josh Reynolds
Katie and Jesse May
Todd Frandsen
Marisa Kelley
Adam Murphy
Brindy Bennett
Chris Bishop


Just for Fun
Seriously So Blessed (satirical mommy blog)
Pass the Ice Cream (bad date stories)
Careerealism (career advice for young/emerging professionals)
Elegant WordArt (digital word quotes)
Sweet Life in the Valley (happenings in Utah Valley)
Rickey.org (American Idol recaps/videos/updates)
The Sisters' Cafe (recipe ideas)
Fit Bottomed Girls (great exercise, workout and music tips)