Google Reader is set to shut down its service July 1, citing a decline in usage. The move has disappointed thousands of users who use the platform to subscribe to RSS feeds.

The company announced in an official blog post last week that it would discontinue Reader so Google can pour all of its energy into fewer products. Many users are confused by the move, and are struggling to find an alternative to the RSS platform that serves up news and subscripted blog rolls, all in one place.

So why would Google – an information aggregator – get rid of a product that is an extension of its fundamental purpose and has a seemingly devout following?

Google Reader may have had a few die-hard fans who found the service to be an effective tool for compiling news without the added opinion of other RSS-based platforms like Twitter. But as the company focuses on more futuristic and boundary-breaking products like Google Glass and the self-driving car, RSS seems a bit archaic.

Most people are now using social media to get their information, and it makes sense that Google would prepare for a generation of mainstream Internet users who have no idea what RSS even stands for (Really Simple Syndication). Therefore, discontinuing Reader may also have been a push to get more people to share their information on the Google+ network.

Google was able to successfully dominate the competition in this area because it offered the service for free. Newsblur, an alternative to RSS service, allows users to subscribe to up to 64 websites for free before asking for a $2-a-month subscription.

But without their largest source of competition, smaller sites are benefiting from the influx of migrant users. According to Mashable, the news aggregator Feedly, which is the most popular alternative to Reader, has gained more than 500,000 new users, has added servers and upped its bandwidth by 10 times to cope with incoming activity.

As news has spread of Reader’s demise, a petition on Change.org has started urging Google not to “destroy” users’ trust in the company’s other products. The petition, which has reached more than 100,000 signatures in a week, states “This is about us using your product because we love it, because it makes our lives better and because we trust you not to nuke it.”

I understand some people feel betrayed by Google, but this number is chump change to a company that supports millions of users every day. If anything, it just highlights, once again, how little control we really have over such powerful corporations’ use of our data and the services they provide.

The reaction to Reader closing isn’t surprising, as there’s almost always a flare-up online in response to changes like this. But it does make you wonder how many users would have to speak up to have any say at all in the company’s decisions.

Google’s Project Glass, for example, hasn’t even been released yet, and is already facing opposition from communities like StoptheCyborgs.org, which warns against the Orwellian future these augmented reality glasses could usher in. Whether we like it, we are at the mercy of Google’s decisions.

The vocal minority may have overblown the end of Reader, but it’s important to remind the company of its informal motto, “Don’t Be Evil,” as we continue to trust these tech giants with the future of our data and lives.

Kat Smith is a senior creative advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at @WhateverKat or by telepathy, if possible. 

Published on March 21, 2013 at 1:55 am