I’m a big user of RSS feeds, and used to pretty much live in Google Reader before Google killed it. In the months after GR was shut down, I tried a number of different RSS reading services including Feedly, AOL, Digg, and many others including client based products. I settled fairly early on Feedly, although it had a number of arbitrary and pointless limitations that drove me crazy.
At some point, I discovered InoReader and fell in love with it. It has a wealth of options and seems able to read many marginally functional feeds. However, it’s mobile interface has never been very good, and lately it seems like it’s been slower and more prone to outages. So, I’m trying Feedly again.
Feedly has gotten a lot better, most notably in its performance which I now find to be outstanding. However, it continues to have a number of limitations and rigid user interface functionality that I find frustrating. One is its insistence at putting feeds with no unread items at the bottom of the feed list, and forcing me to periodically do a browser refresh to see if any new items have come out in those feeds. Another is the inability to change the low contrast font colors.
That said, I think I could live with Feedly for a while, but I’m wondering, if you’re an RSS user, what are you using these days? If you don’t use RSS, what do you use to keep track of the blogs and sites that you follow? Social media like Twitter or Facebook? Internet bookmarks? Just wondering. (I’m sure many WordPress bloggers use the WordPress reader, and I do too for many WordPress sites, but not for other sites throughout the web.)
SelfAwarePatterns 
I use wordpress for post of my reading, and bloglovin for others. It does have a women’s magazine feel to it, but I like the mobile interface.
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Michelle. so far you wonderfully described your method of the creative work. (base necessary to grow wisely.) but probably you forgot one very important element! unless i missed it! so to rule out that possibility can i ask question in this subject!
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I had an autocorrect issue in my comment, whoops! I use WordPress for most of my reading, not post of it.
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Michelle. and still i don’t know if i can ask this important question? and i have no doubt that Michael, Steve, and even DM were also be very happy to express their opinions. but i cann’t do that without your explicit consent! so can i ask YOU a question…
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I don’t see why not! What’s the question?
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Thanks Michelle! Just took a took a look at it. I like the simple UI, but you’re definitely right that it has feminine atmosphere.
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I use Feedly, too. I’m actually growing more fond of it than I was of Google Reader.
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I use your blog, so make sure you don’t miss anything interesting!
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🙂 Given all the interesting information in your blog, I doubt I’m your only source of news. If so, you’re definitely getting a slanted view of reality!
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I just randomly hit up the blogs that I like from time to time. For Scientia Salon, where I’m pretty heavily involved in debates from time to time I sometimes keep a tab open on the raw XML RSS feed for comments and refresh it obsessively.
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Reading raw XML? Spoken like a true techie!
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I’ve been using feedly since google announced they were going to dump us. It hits the spot.
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I just have the sites I care about send me email notifications 🙂
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Thanks! I think a lot of people do that, but if I did it, I would be buried under a mountain of email (I have something like 200 feeds, some of which are pretty high volume).
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I do the email thing as well, but I get about 50 a day so time off line results in a chore.
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I use Feedly. I can’t say I love it, but it’s the best of the things I’ve tried.
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Michelle. so we have an important question which is actually very simple (but its essence can also be the basis of our development as a human species)… MUSIC… whether it is an important element supporting the creative process… also great support less absorbing activities like reading my stupid posts, and the answer to this… so if this is something that is PRETTY important or just element forming a colorless background, totally irrelevant…?
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I think music definitely supports the creative process, but for me, music *is* a creative process. I dance, sing, and play a few instruments, and growing up I did a little bit of musical theatre and cheerleading (I miss them both!). My current favorite forms of musical expression are choral singing and partner dancing, and through them I feel like I can access something greater than myself, so they take all of me (and don’t just support other endeavors).
I sometimes like to listen to music while I write and read, though, which is what I assume you’re asking about, but I have to choose carefully. I made the mistake of listening to the LotR soundtrack while reading about nuclear weapons treaties for a Foreign Policy class once, and the combo gave me all sorts of feeling of epic doom. I don’t recommend it!
So tldr;: I think it’s extremely important, and that what you listen to while you read and write actively affects how to think and create images in your head.
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