What do you use? Do you preffer desktop readers or online readers? I am using Newshutch and it totally rocks.

Google... there are things I don't like about it, but it's the most convenient so far

Google Reader. It is the most convenient especially if you are reading your feeds from different machines.

yeah.... I use a mix of reader and the homepage

Still haven't quite figured out the reader. 

Google Reader all the way. I hated the old version, but since the last fixes it's been much easier to use. The whole 'river of news' concept is what wins me over - quick scan while hitting keyboard shortcuts to just get through the guff to the content I'm interested in

Makes it much easier to deal with massive amounts of items 

I didn't like how Google reader whouldn't show me comments. Or I couldn't find them. I'm using netnewswire offline which synchs to newsgator online, but I'm in the desktop most often.

I was using newsgator online - it was the best of a bad lot. But the new Reader thrashes it. These days you get a link showing how many comments - click through to read on the site. Works for me as I don't want to read them in the reader anyway (or not by default, although I'll subscribe to some comment feeds specifically)

Google Reader is one of the best web application I use. The standard Google design, clean and simple works exceptionally well for this RSS reader.

I didn't like how Google reader whouldn't show me comments.

Same here....

I also do like to see the site itself..... feels too 'sanitised' in Reader

I gave up on online ones (for the same reason I dont use online email).

So my fav offline rss reader is Omea from jetbrains.

http://www.jetbrains.com/omea/reader/

and it's free

I'm a fan of Google reader...with about 4 greasemonkey extensions thrown in..tweaked just right for me now...I'd used Omea for about 6 months..and switched to Google.

why did you switch away from omea?

...but...I really did enjoy the newspaper view in Omea...that was a great feature!

Oh..It had so many features I was never bothering with...the GUI distracted me...constantly...

google reader.  can't beat it

Netvibes. Love it. 

There's an interesting post (posted yday) on Web Worker Daily that looks at 'how' you use your reader. 

http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/03/08/open-thread-how-do-you-read-rss-feeds/

firefox live bookmarks is RSS enough for me - it may not keep track of where I got to, but I probaby wouldn't believe it was doing it right if it did

 Open Letter: Eight Changes I’d Like to See from Google Reader

I agree with a few of the writer's points. Namely;

Author info: I’d like to see who the author of an item is in the at-a-glance information shown in the compressed view. I read a lot of multi-author outlets.

Folders or tags, pick one: I feel like you haven’t really figured out if you like tags or folders better. That’s not a big deal on a regular basis, but, for instance, I haven’t been able to find a way to rename a folder.

Select, mark read: I do use a set of core folders pretty heavily. I’d like to be able to select a chunk of posts and mark them as read, rather than having to either mark a whole folder or feed as read, or tick each item off one at a time. (this is just such a pain)

Better counters: I’m not into this “100+” maximum number of posts in any folder. Can’t you just calculate the actual number? I like to know what I’m up against.  (EXACTLY!)

I use Bloglines.  I tried various different readers, including Firefox extensions and google's home page (never tried Google Reader though), and syndication on LiveJournal, but I found I could never keep track of things and got of checking very quickly.  I've now been using Bloglines for a few months - the longest time I've ever stuck with a single RSS reader and actually *read* my feeds.  Something about Bloglines just works with my attitude, or something like that.

Can you integrate it with an existing site or do you have to go there to read your feeds?

I've got GReader embeded in Gmail, so I can access it anytime without having to navigate too much

I still use Omea... it's a desktop app so has some advantages in terms of speed.

I do however sync my opml to google reader every once in a while so I can access RSS online.

You have to go to the site, as far as I know.  I just have Bloglines set as my homepage so it's always open in a tab (much as I do with Tangler now!)

Although apparently there is a notifier too...

Oh! A notifier for RSS? That'd drive me nuts!
(I'm slightly obsessive abt clearing inboxes when the new items are visibly obvious)

*cough* particls *cough*

hehehehe yeah.... Had to stop using it cos I'd just sit there and watch for new items!

Sounds like Tangler sometimes.

In a good way!

But of course!

I'm joining this thread a bit late.  There's some good discourse here...even some lengthy (read: meaty) bits from dekrazee1.

I've used many different readers, but for speed, simple RSS feed additions from any enabled web page, simple GUI and ease of access from other Google programs, I use Google Reader.

Jill Marie: What grease monkey extensions are you using to optimize G-Reader?

As for 'managing' RSS feeds - which should be a separate Topic here - I find that if my G-Reader count is 100+ consistently, It's either an issue with the web site kicking out too much content or that I'm simply not giving it the attention I thought I was going to give it. Therefore I tend to delete those feeds to prune my list.  The last thing I want to feel when I look at my RSS feeds is overwhelmed.

since you brought it up  - I keep a tag called 'expendable' on sites that I won't cry if I miss. When I get overwhelmed, I clear those first.

Do you use that in GReader?

I have a folder called rubbish.... Which serves a similar function to fred's expendable tag

And I'm very selective about the feeds I add on. I usually have a trial period for abt a week - if the new feed hasn't added value to my life, my work, my time, out it goes

The rest of my feeds are also sorted so that I have tech stuff (work), cars (leisure), news, sports etc.... I tend to go thru the feeds as I make my way thru the day. So when I'm at work, I just look at the work stuff, if I'm having lunch, I look at the leisure stuff etc

yes - no more offline readers for me...

hmmm.... I'll have to try that

Thanks for the tip!

I absolutely love Google Reader, its probably my #1 most used web app.  If it would only add better commenting integration like fav.or.it promises to do, RSSlife would be perfect.

Guess what?? My GReader (embedded in GMail) is suddenly showing the exact count of unread articles I have!!!

WOO HOOO!!!!!!!

1/2 an hour ago it was still showing 100+

...and your point is?

From an article I've quoted above:

Better counters: I’m not into this “100+” maximum number of posts in any folder. Can’t you just calculate the actual number? I like to know what I’m up against.

Ahhh. Sorry.

No probs

lol, it will google reader will show you how many you have left if you switch it to working offline.

I didn't do anything to it....

Just started showing that way. It went back to 100+ in the evening, but back to exact count this morning

It's messing with me

Check it out - more Google goodies!

All my wishes are coming true!!!!

WOO HOO!

I am lost...where is this? The screenshot looks like a mix of gmail and google reader.

haha, i remember reading this, then the next day on digg i saw an article and went and checked my reader, i was like wtf.... 1000+... am I slow?

Oh sorry.... that screenshot was of Reader embeded in Mail (using better Gmail) but it's the same for the regular Greader too!

Google Reader for me - although I read most feeds through the iGoogle widget for it.

Yeah... after I incorporated Greader in Gmail, I rarely go to my iGoogle page anymore...

And I've just put Calendar in Gmail as well, so even less reason.

.. and what's the gSkin you're using? greasemonkey or stylish..?

hmmm... its the Air Skin. The only pleasant one imo

Brief: One of the best firefox extensions/Rss readers ever made. Not only does it integrate into firefox,but the feeds are saved in your Live bookmarks folder permanantly,until you delete them from the list. Very easy to use and configure,better than sage the rss reader.!!!

I've been using Streamy for a little bit now. I guess my RSS reading is a bit different than most, but basically Streamy combines social network with RSS. The part that I love is that I can drag and drop stories easily to share them with friends(right now just internally with other Streamy users, but soon with AIM and other chat protocols), once its fully Meebo like, it will be the only way I'll ever do RSS.

I'd use streamy - the intro vid looked really good.

But the social networking thing isn't a big plus. I've tried to explain RSS to my friends, and they still haven't taken it up!
 

I think RSS is something you have to discover yourself - it's hard to explain just how useful it is to someone who hasn't experienced it

I remember when I found out what RSS itself was, and wanted to subscribe, and couldn't find a reader.... A year later Google Reader came along, which is how I got started.

These things are just so.... hard to put together... for the unintiated
 

Guess what??

Google Reader got some new stuff - Drag and Drop!!

The interesting thing is that I thought there was something different about GReader today (I noticed the new Discover link) but for the life of me I don't know how I would have found the drag and drop thing if I hadn't come across the Techcrunch article.

(They do announce it on the 'home page', but I've set it to skip Home)
 

Just so you know, for me, who gets about 4000+ Items daily, GR only goes up to 1000+ Which annoys the hell outta me. Just go up to 10000 please!

4000 items.. in a day.. How in hell...

I take it most of that doesn't make it as far as your eyes 

Still.. how do you sort through that kind of heap of stuff?

Yeah, I know Nuc.... but hey, it wasn't that long ago when they only had 100+!!

And yeah.... 4000 a day?!?!
 

Yeah, it's a lot. Everything is sorted though, eg. in folders so I can view what I want to. Also, I don't read every single item. I read every title and only view what is of interest to me. It can take a while. I have about 60 subscriptions. Mostly news.

I have about 40.. mostly comics (they don't update so often )

I have 142. Not as bad as it sounds...

Well, I tried the badly names Omea (Remind me of oatmeal).

I like it, it's okay, and rather useful. But not as productive, though it's probably me still new to the features.
 

I could do with a few more features in GReader.... it's very rigid...

Well it's simple, and works.