Gaming with Google Reader

We're getting close to the end of our Gaming with Google series with only two more articles after this (three if we get a Google Wave invite). In this article, we'll explore the use of Google Reader in relation to role-playing games. Actually, to be fair, there isn't much that directly applies to RPGs. What Google Reader does allow you to do is create a single place for you to review any new content published via some of the resources covered in the previous articles, specifically Google Groups, Blogger, and Picasa Web Albums.

About Feeds and Google Reader

First, let's cover the basics. Google Reader is a news/feed aggregator/reader. I was about to write out an entire explanation, but then I remembered this excellent video that illustrates it better.

If you want to know more about how Google Reader works, here's a short, 1-minute video.

Setting Up a Google Reader Account

Creating a Google Reader account is as easy as visiting the Google Reader web site while logged in to your Google Account. Now that we have that out of the way, let's get to adding in the feeds to our favorite resources.

Subscribing to Feeds

Blogger

Let's start with your blog. You'd like to keep up with the journal entries from the GM or your fellow players to see what they are posting and to keep up with the content.

Most blogs, will provide an icon as demonstrated in the videos above. Clicking that icon typically yields an interface that allows you to add the feed to your preferred aggregator, including either iGoogle (which we'll talk about next time) or Google Reader. Most modern web browsers will also display a version of the standard feed icon in the address bar or someplace else among the browser's toolbars. Clicking that icon also allows you to subscribe to a given feed, and in some cases, it will display multiple feeds available on the site.

Blogs not only allow you to subscribe to the posts but also the comments as well. This means if one or more individuals make a comment on a post, you will see that comment in your Google Reader account.

Picasa Web Albums

The next site to subscribe to is Picasa Web Albums. When you visit any Picasa Web Album, you'll notice an RSS link to the right just below where we were able to create a link to the album. Copy the link address from that link and add it to your subscriptions via Google Reader as described in the video above.

You can also subscribe to a user's account as well. If go up one level to view all of the users available albums, an RSS link will appear on the bottom right of the page. You can subscribe to that link address and any new publicly available albums will appear in the feed. Note that this particular feed does not show individual images.

Google Groups

The third source you might want to subscribe to is your Google Group. There really isn't a need to subscribe to Google Groups if you're set up to receive emails from the group, but in case you want to monitor or syndicate the posts, the option is there. You'll notice our sidebar includes a feed of recent topics from our Google Group, which is just one example of how you can repurpose this content.

When you visit and sign into your Google Group, you'll notice an XML icon at the bottom of the page. Clicking on that icon takes you to a page that lists two columns for feeds to which you can subscribe. For most users, the difference between Atom and RSS is negligible. If you really care, the links to Wikipedia elaborate on their details.

Discovering Other Feeds

You'll notice Google Reader has a link in its navigation labeled "Browse for stuff." Clicking this link reveals a page that allows you to search or browse the Interweb for other sources of content. Try a search for your favorite topic and find out what feeds are available for subscription. Also try searching for you own team blog.

Organizing Your Subscriptions

Google Reader allows you to create folders (tags really) that allow you to organize your feeds into logical groupings. Any one feed can be tagged to reside in one or more folders.  As your subscription library grows, I highly recommend organizing them to help you sort through them.

Following Friends

Google Reader has yet another awesome feature that is among the key components of Google's social networking efforts: sharing.

There are two sections in the Google Reader interface that pertain to this feature. The first is "Shared Items" under "Your Stuff" which shows a list of items you've shared with the public. To add an item to this list you simply open an item from any feed you want and click the share icon at the bottom of that item. This will automatically include that item in the Shared Items list. You can also add notes to shared items by using the "Share with note" feature.

By the way, it's entirely possible to share an entire folder via Google Reader's Settings. This allows you to create a page and a new feed to which others can subscribe. For example, if you have a collection of feeds pertaining to Savage Worlds, you can share your entire Savage Worlds folder to create a master aggregated feed to which others may subscribe (or for you to incorporate into your blog's sidebar).

The other section that utilizes the sharing feature is "People you follow." This list is generated based on your Google Contacts and only displays those who have activated a Google Reader account. Any time any of those individuals shares an item, it will appear in their lists.

The strength of this feature is in allowing you and your gaming group to share items of common interest and even comment on them via Google Reader.

If you're feeling adventurous, look for the feature that allows you to add a Shared Items widget to your Blogger blog.

Wrapping Up

The remaining features available in Google Reader are too vast to cover in a single article. The core of this article was primarily to introduce you to Google Reader as an aggregator for your feeds related to these articles. It's evident, however, that it is far more than just an aggregator.

Take the time to explore Google Reader a bit. If you find a neat feature that you'd like to share with others, feel free to post it in the comments below. We look forward to reading what little hidden secrets you might unlock just from poking around in Google Reader.

Next: Gaming with iGoogle

We'll take a look at how to pull it all together in a single go-to interface using gadgets in iGoogle.