Alternatives to Google Reader?

[Voyagerpod]

Although I've faithfully used NetNewsWire on my Macs for many years,
I've only just installed it on my iPhone. It appears that with version
3.2 I have to use Google Reader to sync everything. Is there an
alternative which anyone can recommend?

I'm increasingly uneasy about the grip which Google is tightening
around our personal data. Its questionable attitudes to accumulating
more knowledge of our likes, habits and purchasing patterns, makes me
less enthusiastic about utilising "all things Google" and I'd like an
alternative. Within a few short years the choice of RSS feeders and
News aggregators has been swamped by the gargantuan Google and to the
point that choices are severely limited.

Please help if you can. Perhaps there is no choice anymore.

Many thanks in anticipation

[BrentSimmons]

As far as I know there are no other options. Running a syncing system
is very expensive -- but people don't want to pay (or pay very much)
for syncing. So only places like Google can afford to run a system
like that.

I'd love to see an alternative, myself. Not because Google Reader is
bad (it isn't; it's very good), but because I think competition in
services is in general a good thing, leading to better services and to
happier users.

-Brent

[Voyagerpod]

Hi Brent

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I do appreciate it.

Your answer is most interesting and I understand completely. I'm off
to Google Reader now! But not before I reflect on the similarity of
our position today with the sort of answers that were once banded
about for Microsoft, 15 years ago. I admire Google's prowess - you're
right they make things work well and often subscription free. However
I suspect we will be counting the the real cost one day.

Thank you though for your brilliant software. I can't imagine all the
snags and hurdles you must have encountered to get NNW to the high
standard it is today. Its not just vital to my work, I really enjoy
using it.

Well done and thanks again

Peter

[Voyagerpod]

Hi Brent

I'm re-writing this reply because the one I sent you about 2 hours ago
appears not to have been recorded or transmitted. Very odd!

I wanted to thank you for your helpful reply and assure you that I
shall now hot-foot it off to Google Reader to arrange my sync. I fully
understand and admire the prowess big G has - which may eventually be
its achilles heal. We used to stand in awe by the overshadowing of
Microsoft in similar vein, a few years ago too....!

I also wrote to thank you for really well engineered software in NNW
which I highly value and enjoy using too. Thank you for the thousands
of man hours it must have taken to get to this point.

Finally, since trying to write you before, I've tried to set up sync
with NNW on my iPhone, but cannot because its refusing to accept my
Google Reader password even though it is correct and I can access my
GR account directly on the web without snags.

Any ideas what the fix could be please? Perhaps I should post this as
a new query as the topic is different.

Again my thanks

Peter


On Feb 22, 4:04 am, BrentSimmons <br...@ranchero.com> wrote: