Comments on: The ideal feed reader http://beckism.com/2009/07/ideal_feed_reader/ Fiction, opinions, and more Thu, 17 May 2012 11:55:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ian Beck http://beckism.com/2009/07/ideal_feed_reader/#comment-24348 Ian Beck Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:24:31 +0000 http://beckism.com/?p=317#comment-24348 Admittedly, there's a strong element of personal preference throughout all of my desires for a perfect feed reader. :-) However, I think the advice to avoid a three-pane interface has broader applicability than my personal dislike of it. As I see it, most people have two types of feeds: 1) Feeds for which they want to read every word 2) Feeds they want to skim headlines A three pane interface is good for neither of these tasks. For the first group, Fever or Google Reader's "show the full content inline in a list" is best (no navigation necessary, just scrolling). For the second, NewsFire's "group by source in a long list" approach is preferable because you get very direct access to the info that matters (where the feed is coming from and its headline). A three pane interface, on the other hand, only provides you easy access to the headlines and assumes that although you want to read every word, you also want to explicitly invoke each feed in order to read it. This is a weird amalgamation of both worlds that doesn't serve either particularly well. Certainly, it's functional and familiar, but even beyond these objections to the interface I don't like it because too many feed authors lazily default to three pane interfaces without putting any design consideration into the decision. If a dev has evaluated all the options, tried to think of a better way, and come to the conclusion that three-pane is the best possible way to read feeds in their app, that's all well and good. But I don't think that happens much (if ever). Mostly people are just lazy. I've actually tried NetNewsWire's "combined" view, but it doesn't do anything for me. For one thing, it's paginated (and you have to use the mouse to move between pages). For another, I don't actually like Google Reader's interface for reading all my feeds. What I really want is a feed reader that offers on a per-group basis a Google Reader/Fever style interface (so I can scroll through the feeds I find important, reading every word), and a NewsFire "grouped by source" interface for the other groups. Admittedly, there’s a strong element of personal preference throughout all of my desires for a perfect feed reader. :-)

However, I think the advice to avoid a three-pane interface has broader applicability than my personal dislike of it. As I see it, most people have two types of feeds:

1) Feeds for which they want to read every word
2) Feeds they want to skim headlines

A three pane interface is good for neither of these tasks. For the first group, Fever or Google Reader’s “show the full content inline in a list” is best (no navigation necessary, just scrolling). For the second, NewsFire’s “group by source in a long list” approach is preferable because you get very direct access to the info that matters (where the feed is coming from and its headline).

A three pane interface, on the other hand, only provides you easy access to the headlines and assumes that although you want to read every word, you also want to explicitly invoke each feed in order to read it. This is a weird amalgamation of both worlds that doesn’t serve either particularly well. Certainly, it’s functional and familiar, but even beyond these objections to the interface I don’t like it because too many feed authors lazily default to three pane interfaces without putting any design consideration into the decision. If a dev has evaluated all the options, tried to think of a better way, and come to the conclusion that three-pane is the best possible way to read feeds in their app, that’s all well and good. But I don’t think that happens much (if ever). Mostly people are just lazy.

I’ve actually tried NetNewsWire’s “combined” view, but it doesn’t do anything for me. For one thing, it’s paginated (and you have to use the mouse to move between pages). For another, I don’t actually like Google Reader’s interface for reading all my feeds. What I really want is a feed reader that offers on a per-group basis a Google Reader/Fever style interface (so I can scroll through the feeds I find important, reading every word), and a NewsFire “grouped by source” interface for the other groups.

]]> By: Bart http://beckism.com/2009/07/ideal_feed_reader/#comment-24311 Bart Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:18:48 +0000 http://beckism.com/?p=317#comment-24311 I think the one about a three-pane interface is strictly a personal preference. NetNewsWire can let you change that, though. In the latest beta (which they're sort of forcing everyone to use cause they're switching to Google Reader for sycing) there's a Google Reader style view that shows all the posts stringed together vertically. But I hate that kind of view. I want to skim through headlines and pick and choose what I want to read instead of scrolling past entire posts I don't want to read (this is why I can't stand Byline on the iPhone... if I have a bunch of tech blogs in a group and I only want to read Daring Fireball's posts, I have to scroll past all the other blogs to get to Daring Fireball). The latest NNW also lets you enable Gmail-style summaries next to "subjects". You can pretty much make it work exactly like Google Reader if you play around with the options in the 'View' menu. But I prefer to make it work like Mail (with Gmail-style summaries next to titles). :) I think the one about a three-pane interface is strictly a personal preference. NetNewsWire can let you change that, though. In the latest beta (which they’re sort of forcing everyone to use cause they’re switching to Google Reader for sycing) there’s a Google Reader style view that shows all the posts stringed together vertically. But I hate that kind of view. I want to skim through headlines and pick and choose what I want to read instead of scrolling past entire posts I don’t want to read (this is why I can’t stand Byline on the iPhone… if I have a bunch of tech blogs in a group and I only want to read Daring Fireball’s posts, I have to scroll past all the other blogs to get to Daring Fireball).

The latest NNW also lets you enable Gmail-style summaries next to “subjects”. You can pretty much make it work exactly like Google Reader if you play around with the options in the ‘View’ menu. But I prefer to make it work like Mail (with Gmail-style summaries next to titles). :)

]]> By: Simon http://beckism.com/2009/07/ideal_feed_reader/#comment-24278 Simon Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:19:57 +0000 http://beckism.com/?p=317#comment-24278 You should really try Google Reader. It's really fast, faster than any of the desktop apps I have tried. I group my feeds into related subjects e.g. Apple and then hit "n" and "p" on the keyboard to read through them. You should really try Google Reader. It’s really fast, faster than any of the desktop apps I have tried. I group my feeds into related subjects e.g. Apple and then hit “n” and “p” on the keyboard to read through them.

]]> By: Scott Hughes http://beckism.com/2009/07/ideal_feed_reader/#comment-24082 Scott Hughes Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:15:32 +0000 http://beckism.com/?p=317#comment-24082 Hi Ian I have a very similar dilemma but I do about 50% of my feed reading on the iPhone so what I need is iPhone/Mac syncing of feeds. Currently this only really leaves me with NetNewsWire to use. I don't mind the dektop version but the iPhone version is currently limited and really shows as a pre OS3.0 app now. Hi Ian

I have a very similar dilemma but I do about 50% of my feed reading on the iPhone so what I need is iPhone/Mac syncing of feeds. Currently this only really leaves me with NetNewsWire to use. I don’t mind the dektop version but the iPhone version is currently limited and really shows as a pre OS3.0 app now.

]]> By: Michael http://beckism.com/2009/07/ideal_feed_reader/#comment-24054 Michael Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:48:09 +0000 http://beckism.com/?p=317#comment-24054 Generally I agree with you Ian, and I wonder why we have -- for instance -- excellent Twitter clients, but not-so-good feed readers. Generally I agree with you Ian, and I wonder why we have — for instance — excellent Twitter clients, but not-so-good feed readers.

]]> By: Ian Beck http://beckism.com/2009/07/ideal_feed_reader/#comment-24031 Ian Beck Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:16:10 +0000 http://beckism.com/?p=317#comment-24031 Yeah, I may have to give in and finally give Google Reader a try. I'm not a fan of web apps, so I've always given it a wide berth, but the desktop options just aren't meeting my needs. Yeah, I may have to give in and finally give Google Reader a try. I’m not a fan of web apps, so I’ve always given it a wide berth, but the desktop options just aren’t meeting my needs.

]]> By: Carl http://beckism.com/2009/07/ideal_feed_reader/#comment-24026 Carl Sun, 26 Jul 2009 07:18:38 +0000 http://beckism.com/?p=317#comment-24026 I can't say I've used many alternatives, but I like Google Reader. Not sure it gives you as much control as you're looking for, though. I can’t say I’ve used many alternatives, but I like Google Reader.

Not sure it gives you as much control as you’re looking for, though.

]]>