There’s good news for those of you still mourning the loss of Google Reader. Google is considering bringing back RSS feeds, with a new “Follow” feature that may be coming to Google Chrome.
If this “experiment,” as Google calls it, works, then it may be even easier to keep up with all your favorite websites without having to rely on things like notifications, newsletters, or using a third party RSS feed. All you would need to do is hit the “Follow” button, and you would be good to go.
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The Follow system is designed to be an open RSS web standard, and according to Google it’s designed to “build deeper engagement between users and web publishers.”
New content will be accessible in a new “Following” section on the New Tab page. It sounds pretty easy to stay on top of it all.
We’ve heard it loud and clear: Discovery distribution is lacking on the open web, and RSS hasn’t been ‘mainstream consumer’ friendly. Today, we’re announcing an experimental new way, powered by RSS, to follow creators with one click: https://t.co/9GQXWOqOXb pic.twitter.com/wKwBEhqu0SMay 19, 2021
Some Android users in the U.S. who are using Chrome Canary, the “alpha” experimental version of Chrome that’s updated nightly, will see theFollow feature pop up in the coming weeks.
Sadly ,it’s not clear what Google’s rollout plans are, and for the immediate future Follow will stick around as little more than an experimental feature.
Whether Follow will actually “graduate” and roll out as a stable Chrome feature is still undetermined. Google promises it will provide guidance to web publishers as it learns and evaluates the performance of the Follow feature going forward.
I know I want this feature to expand, especially if it means getting a more streamlined RSS experience on my laptop. While I have no complaints about my current RSS client, it would still be nice to have the option of using one built into my browser.
After all, I use RSS feeds for many things, both as an individual and as part of my daily work routine. Any improvements or streamlining that can be offered, without having to pay any extra money, would make my life so much easier.
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