R.I.P Google Reader

Breaking news coming from Google this afternoon, and for fans of Google Reader, it appears daunting.

For those who have chosen to establish residence under a rock, Google Reader is one of the web’s best-known feeds through which users can pull content from various sources around the internet.

Citing a decline in users, Google has announced this afternoon to turn off the stadium lights on its popular RSS feed app on July 1^st.

Since 2005, Google Reader has gathered an almost cult like following. User’s have cited it’s ease of use and simple tools as the reason the app has risen to almost mythical status. It would be no surprise to us if later today we see pictures coming out of Mountain View, Google’s hometown, of fans clad in Google merchandise lighting candles and singing songs in a mourning of their dearly loved Google Reader.

The move to shut down Google Reader comes in the wake of Google’s “Spring Cleaning” during which the technology juggernaut plans on streamlining some of the services and applications in its repeteur. Google Senior Vice President Urs Holzle was the first to comment on the axe of the reader, and since his announcement, the public outcry has been astronomical.

Just today, there have been multiple Facebook groups and petitions created, the most popular of which has 46,000+ followers, demanding the return of the beloved Reader. While this does bode well for Google’s brand equity, the massive public outcry is likely to fall on deaf ears.

On July 1^st, 2013, the world will see the plug pulled on Google Reader. While this is indeed a sad announcement, Google didn’t become a technology superstar by accident. By this time next year it is likely we will be discussing all the great features of Google’s latest and greatest app, with the death of Google Reader being nothing more than a faint memory.

For now though however, we mourn the loss of one of the greatest RSS feed applications to ever hit the Internet. To the legendary Google Reader, Goodnight sweet prince.

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