Internet Me, Google

This is amazing. Simply amazing. I don't know how I never came across it before. I was reading through some old posts of a friend's blog, and I found one she'd written on Google Reader. When you sign up for it (as you inevitably will after you read this), you, too, will gasp in amazement and say, "Yes. Yes, it is amazing." I swear, those google people think of everything.

So, this is how it works. It's "email" for your favorite websites. You get an "inbox" where all the websites/blogs you've picked will "send" you their newest posts. And then you can either read them right there out of your "inbox" or you can click on a link that will take you straight to the website. Amazing! I know, right?!

Here's the homepage, which kind of gives you a summary of the new "messages" you have from blogs you check. There's also a list you can pick off of in the left margin. The names appear in bold that have new posts. Once you click on the name, it will be automatically marked as "read" and will empty out of you "inbox," just like email!

This has really helped me because it cuts down on all that wasted time, going through my list to see who has posted something new on a blog! I love, love, love it! One place, and it's all there. It's somewhat time consuming to go through and add all the websites you check at the beginning, but it's definitely worth it. I save a lot of time with this new invention!

(However, there are a few of you out there who are not allowing Google Reader to link to your webpage. Check your settings!)

I think any website that does some sort of "update" will allow you to link to it and dump a message into your inbox. Like BBC News or any news website, etc. I think it's the neatest gadget since the Pampered Chef chopper.
www.google.com/reader