
Perhaps the changes to the WordPress Reader are oriented towards the trend of more people accessing websites and reading blogs on mobile devices, as suggested in the following post:
http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2013/11/05/wordpress-com-reader-update/
That may explain, for example, why the post opens in a new window—but not the actual website—when you first click on it, and allows you to like or comment without visiting the actual website. Unless, of course, the website restricts the Reader from showing the entire post, in which case you must click a second time to access the post. Then you have to close two separate windows when you’re done, so we’re clicking twice as often. That’s in addition to scrolling several times more because of the larger images and text.
It’s a shame that you can read some posts entirely in the new Reader window that pops up, completely missing the blogger’s header, background images, social media links, products for sale, and all the other content that blogger prepared on his or her website, hoping to draw a little traffic with the blog post.
On a positive note, the images seem to be displaying on all of the posts now.
I’m getting used to the font size and picture display now, but my wrist is sore from all the extra clicking and scrolling.
There are some threads about this in the WordPress forum. The following thread is now up to three pages. You can find a comment from one of the Happiness Engineers on page 3 of the thread (I strongly urge you to read this if you’re curious about why WordPress did this and what they think about the reactions that have been posted). It also provides informative clarification on whether or not the new Reader window will affect your stats.
http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/reader-changed/page/3?replies=4
If you would like to share your feedback, please click on the above thread. Perhaps you can help them “engineer more happiness.”
Here are links to my two previous posts on the status of the new WordPress Reader, in case you missed them:
Chris McMullen, author of A Detailed Guide to Self-Publishing with Amazon and Other Online Booksellers, Vol. 1 (formatting/publishing) and Vol. 2 (packaging/marketing)
Like this:
Like Loading...