Blogging Tips: Google Services Shut-Down: GFC? Google Reader?

So I am sure many of you Blogger users have heard that Google is "retiring" Google Friend Connect.  

Well that's NOT true. 

I am going to explain this to you all in details in this post, hoping to make it easier for you to understand.

If you are a Blogger user, NO WORRIES.  GFC is still gonna be around for us.

However, Google Reader IS going to be gone soon, even for us Blogger users.

To quote Google's Announcement on Google Friend Connect.

Google Friend Connect—Friend Connect allows webmasters to add social features to their sites by embedding a few snippets of code. We're retiring the service for all non-Blogger sites on March 1, 2012. We encourage affected sites to create a Google+ page and place a Google+ badge on their site so they can bring their community of followers to Google+ and use new features like Circles and Hangouts to keep in touch.

To quote Google's Announcement on Google Reader

We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months. 

So what EXACTLY does that mean?

• That means there will no longer be a "Join this site" gadget for non Blogger blogs, those using Wordpress or other hosting services will lose GFC.
• The Google Friend Connect site is gone
• There is no way to transfer your GFC followers to another location
• There is no way to retrieve your GFC followers' email addresses
• You can use Google TakeOut to save your blog subscriptions and such. 
• Others will have to use other methods to "follow" you (if you are not using Blogger to host your blog)
• Google+ 
• Allows your readers to "add" you to their circles and read your status updates (not your blog feed)
• If you wish to automatically share your newest blog post, you will have to manually "share" it after you posted your blog post.
• Google+ is not like Google Reader where you can read all the new blog posts (which Google Reader will be shut down on July 1 2013)
• BlogLovin'
• It is a RSS service much like Google Reader
• It requires registration
• It is quite popular among bloggers
• It can be set up to post your newest blog post on your Facebook Fan Page
• NEW: BlogLovin has a very nice feature, to import all the blogs you follow through Google Reader. 
• NetWorked Blogs
• A RSS service, but alot less user friendly than BlogLovin'
• It requires registration, both free or paid.
• It is mostly used for Facebook Fan Pages
• It can be installed as a Tab on your Facebook Fan Page
• It will display your blog posts in that Tab
• It can automatically post your newest blog post on your Facebook and Twitter accounts.
• Canopi
• Another way for your readers to follow your blog
• It requires free registration
• Its interface is very much like Pinterest+StumbleUpon
• You will tell it what you like to read about (ie: arts, crafts, food...etc)
• it will load blog posts that relate to your interests
• you can then read the posts and follow the blogger.
• E-Mail Subscription
• Of course you can also ask your readers to subscribe to your blog via email
• Downside is most people do not subscribe due to excessive amount of emails they will receive from each and single of of the blogs they follow. LOL

Here is a very good article on some of the other RSS services out there, Check It Out Here

Google Reader shutting down DOES NOT mean you will lose all the blogs that you follow.  Let me explain.

This is Google Reader

This is where you can read all the blogs that you follow.  Come July, this will be GONE.

This is Blogger Dashboard with the Reading List

Besides your own blogs, you can also see all the blogs you follow, along with their latest post.

This WILL NOT go away.  

Conclusion:

If you are hosting your blog through Blogger, your GFC will NOT go away (at least not yet).  Your Google Reader WILL go away in July of this year.

If you are hosting your blog through other services, your GFC has already GONE away.  

Thanks for reading!  If you know any other info on this, please do comment to let others know.