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WORDPRESS READER UPDATE
It looks like the WordPress reader is changing again.
I like scrolling through my WordPress reader to check out recent posts from blogs that I follow. I spend time every day reading several posts.
It’s always a shock to the system when the layout or functionality of the WordPress reader changes.
Here are a few things I notice with the current WordPress reader update:
- Who wrote the post? I must really squint to see who the blogger is. Is this good or bad? It’s easy to fall into the habit of looking for your favorite bloggers, sometimes ignoring other posts. Will this help focus more on what looks interesting than who wrote it? But there are some magical bloggers, no matter what they write, we know it’s going to be worth a read, and we get excited when we see their posts.
- Presently, if you proceed to click on a post that you’re not sure if you want to read in its entirety, the reader screen opens full screen, rather than in a window. And once it’s opened, the options have moved around and changed. I really don’t like this; it lacks visual appeal, and it’s hard to find any options. Tip: Skip the middle man. Click the link just under where it says There’s More. This will save you a click and you can read the post on the actual website instead of in your reader.
- The word count was replaced with estimated reading time, like 20 sec read or 3 min read.
- Visually, the layout has changed, too. Maybe it’s more mobile friendly. But it looks ridiculous on my very large monitor, with huge empty sidebar areas.
How do you feel about the WordPress reader changes?
Write happy, be happy. 🙂
Chris McMullen
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Chris McMullen, Author of A Detailed Guide to Self-Publishing with Amazon and Other Online Booksellers
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There is no longer a time stamp telling you how long ago the post posted so you can’t find gaps of missing posts. I’m reading your post in the reader now and I cannot view my comment as I type as only line can be read. The posts have shrunk so they are very hard to see. Yee Gads who decides stuff like this. It is also hard to see whose post you’re looking at. This seems to be a space maximer for WP and a space compacter for blogs.
Yes, the time stamp. I rely on that to catch up to the previous day… I miss it.
I don’t like it, and complained about it loudly on my blog.
I bet there is some noise in the WordPress forums, too.
I hope so.
I don’t like it. Why can’t people just leave well enough alone???
Or at least give the customer choices…
I hate it! Argh! Reblogging is totally messed up. I had to click on three links to get to the original post and then back up to get out of it and back to reader. Half of the posts no longer show the images, it seems. YUCK. I’m too old to learn new tricks 😦
Like right now. This post didn’t open in a new screen, so if I close this post, I’m out of wordpress altogether. So I have to hit the backwards arrow.
I did something like that tonight and wound up back at the top of my reader. Kind of like a minefield…
Groan. I suppose we’ll get used to it. I just tried to leave a comment on someone’s post and it only gave me one line. I’m unhappy.
I reblogged a post on my math blog today, and it took some extra trips to figure it out. We need an easy button…
I’ve missed all this Chris because I’ve been reading from my email lately. Soon I’ll get over there to check this out because I really did like my reader the way it was. ~Elle
Follow by email does have its advantages.
Haha, just posted a similar post as well just now. This update is very annoying, in my opinion.
One thing this update probably did was generate several thousand posts on the subject…
I bet that the WP forum is now flooded with complaints as well. But still, I doubt that they would undo this update so we just have to deal with it…
That’s exactly what happened last time.
You’re right; there are bloggers whose posts I always want to read (such as yourself). I subscribe via email to their blogs, so I don’t risk missing any of their posts 🙂
Yes, I follow a few by email. Looks like it’s time to follow a few more that way.
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
I’ve had quite a few emails from followers regarding this recent change – Personally, I prefer to receive notifications by email even though it results in TONS of them that I need to scroll through – at least I’m less likely to miss any I actually want to read (I HOPE) 😀
Follow by email is a good idea. 🙂
That way I don’t have to speed read any notifications as they go whizzing past, down or whatever direction is ‘In’ that day LOL 😀
Reblogged this on Welcome to Blog Bella Luna : Posts by you, and for you from Sherry Carroll.
Thank you for the reblog. 🙂
You are certainly welcome Chris. It’s all so very confusing
Oh great, they’re experimenting…again.:(
I was going to say ‘why don’t they get a focus group?’ Then I realised that they have. We’re it. Free users get the beta crap so the paying customers can avoid the frustration.
I hope it’s only an experiment…
Things will never go back to the way they were, but they may improve with another ‘change’. -sigh-
For better or for worse…
🙂
20 sec read or 3 min read.
How do they determine this? Thank you for allowing me to leave this 35 minute read rant on your blog.
Good question. And what about skimming a blog. I wonder how long that takes…
I have a headache. It’s their fault.
The blogging headache.. That could be a new thing..
I’m not even sure who this update was targeting to “help;” especially the notes about the wasted screen space. It looks pretty ridiculous on my screen to have a maximized browser window with a tiny block of text in the middle. I’m guessing this was done to “enhance” mobile users’ experience somehow… though I’m an Imperialist swine, who says “stop visiting wordpress.com via Chrome mobile and just download a reader app already. Quite. *sniff sniff*”
The part that gets me is the “reading time” note, though. I mean, do I really need to know that? Are we to the point in our day where we must consider how long an article might take to read so we may plan accordingly? Are there people out there who see a title or the snippet and say “Aha! This looks intere… oh. It says it will take me three minutes to read. Well, gosh, I’ve only got seventy seconds to spare. Guess I’ll skip it.”
I was wondering about the time. Maybe a few minutes sounds less intimidating than a few thousand words…
Maybe… The world may never know. XD
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
Thanks for the heads up Chris.. Don’t get me wrong there is a lot about WP that is great and compared to some blog sites it is much easier to navigate but I do dread it when the Happiness Engineers decide to tweak and twerk with what is actually working okay…. I am sure that there are purists out there that are tech gods not just tech geeks but for those of us more digitally challenged, please, if it ain’t broke… don’t fix it!!!
I could use some more happiness engineered with this. 🙂
Thanks Chris. I just tried it with great difficulty. I don’t like it either. You don’t know whose post it is. You might as well go to each blog to read. I agree also with Smorgasbord – why change it? If it ain’t broke…don’t fix it.
Or at least let us adjust the reader settings…
I’m a VERY fast reader. I’m offended by their useless number – who estimates these things? It’s just a stupid algorithm dividing total words by some arbitrary number of theirs – instead of letting me decide. Pah!
And slow readers are apt to be offended as well…
One is objective – non-judgemental; the other is subtly offensive. Hmmm.
I haven’t actually seen it yet, Chris, although I’ve heard a lot about it. I’m dreading taking a look… It really seems to have set the cat amongst the pigeons!
Not finding many fans of the change…
I’ve been on WP for years and didn’t realize they even had a reader.
I’m reading your posts on Feedly, which I joined after Google Reader died, and they come up just fine.
I’ve heard about other readers. Maybe it’s time to try one. 🙂
This is not particularly about the reader but I had to disengage my Grammarly Google Extension because it would not let me post my answers in the right hand drop down menu from the top WP menu. It always worked before, until this weekend. I was disappointed in that. That right hand message drop down is a pain. Have you had issues with it, or is it just me? Thanks, Chris.
I’ll have to explore that next time. Thanks for the heads up. 🙂
Thanks, Chris.
This is why I get posts in my e-mail.
Follow by email is looking better…
I’m no longer reading. Too annoying.
Hopefully, WordPress is monitoring statistics on reading habits…
Noticed it today. Not a fan.
Fans are hard to find. Maybe the only person who likes it is the one who is in charge…? It doesn’t appear to be popular, at least not in my circles.
I really can’t understand why after you click like or make a comment that the post does not drop off from the feed because if you accidentally click somewhere during your reader experience, it will close the window! Ugh! Then you have to scroll through what you just read yet again and I just won’t do that, therefore, I’m in WP less than I usually am.
One would think that WordPress would monitor reading stats, see less activity since the change, and possibly reconsider. Well, I can always hope.
Exactly! I don’t get it.
You might want to share your experiences and thoughts about the changes in the wordpress forum. Read what others have shared. Here’s a link to the most popular thread: https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/reader-view?replies=97
There is a representative from WordPress staff responding to comments, so you know your voice will be heard.
I’ve been waiting to see if it changes again before I run over there. I saw that the blogger’s picture is larger now, which helps to see who posted what. Thank you for the link.
It seems WordPress is always meddling with something on that site. I’m with Chris and Nicholas here; many of the blogs I subscribe to by email, although they are many, like you, at least I can scroll and go to my favourites first. 🙂
Follow by email is a handy widget.