Google Reader is officially dead!

Yet another Google service is laid to rest.

Well folks that dreaded day is finally upon us as Google Reader is now officially dead. Though there's no clear reason for why Google decided to terminate the service, one thing's for sure: it's not coming back.

In case you somehow missed the story, Google announced back in March that they would be shutting down their RSS news-reader service. According to Google this was only a "niche" product but, even so, there are certainly many people on the interwebs sad to see it go.

Users taken by surprise can still download their Reader data via Google checkout, but they need to hurry as all information stored on Google's servers will be systematically deleted starting on July 15.

Users visiting the Google Reader website are now met with the following notice, which includes instructions on how to download your data and move to an alternative service:

Thank you for stopping by.

Google Reader has been discontinued. We want to thank all our loyal fans. We understand you may not agree with this decision, but we hope you'll come to love these alternatives as much as you loved Reader.

Sincerely,

The Google Reader team

Frequently-asked questions

1. What will happen to my Google Reader data?

   All Google Reader subscription data (eg. lists of people that you follow, items you have starred, notes you have created, etc.) will be systematically deleted from Google servers. You can download a copy of your Google Reader data via Google Takeout until 12PM PST July 15, 2013.

2. Will there be any way to retrieve my subscription data from Google in the future?

   No -- all subscription data will be permanently, and irrevocably deleted. Google will not be able to recover any Google Reader subscription data for any user after July 15, 2013.

3. Why was Google Reader discontinued?

   Please refer to our blog post for more information.

Of course it's not all bad news. The demise of Google Reader has been a blessing for other RSS services, such as Feedly. These services will no doubt rapidly increase their marketshare and value and who knows, they might even be bought by Google some time in the future.

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