Thing 3 : RSS feeds

I have to admit, it took me a while to catch on with RSS feeds - I just started using Google Reader in November of 2007. I'd used something equivalent (the LiveJournal Friends page, which brings posts from other LiveJournal users and other feeds) together on a single page. But a few months ago, I wanted to shift.

Part of the reason was I started reading more outside blogs - but also got busier. I wanted a way to filter what I was reading so that I could keep up with the most important or timely ones - but also catch up when I got some spare time.

My Google Reader has several folders of items:

• webcomics : I want to keep on top of these, since they mostly tell stories. They're also a lovely fun way to start my morning.
  
• important : the blogs I most want to stay on top of, or where I want to keep an eye on comments on some posts.
  
• when time: blogs I enjoy, but where it doesn't matter if I'm a few days behind.
• folders for particular personal interests : These are like the 'when time' mostly: they let me read all the blogs related to that interest at the same time.
  
• comment threads: Some of my blogs let me subscribe to feeds of their comments: this is great when the comments are as good as the blog (as is true for one of my favorites, Making Light.)
  

Finding feeds:
In terms of finding feeds, I mostly subscribe to blogs that I already knew about, or that I found through links from other sites and bloggers. I have been using Google's Blog Search tool to browse for related blogs, too.

I'll leave a "Library blogs I keep coming back to" for a later post, though.