Not impressed with the Google Reader Power Readers
Google have bundled and packaged up some Power Readers as exemplars for Reader.
I'm a raving Reader fan but, really, this effort is entirely underwhelming. Why would I care about a bunch of US centric feeds?
Google is listed on an American stock exchange. Most of Google revenues from the States (the UK being the only country big enough, in revenue terms, to warrant its own mention in the financial data). Google's HQ is in America.
I'm not saying Google isn't allowed to be American.
It's my sense that Google aspires to a global scope though. We've recently seen them open an active EU policy blog where they've tackled issues such as privacy. Isn't it a step backwards to use a global platform like Reader to push forward an exclusively American recommendation.
Google's on good terms with many UK and EU newspapers. I know this first hand. The Power Readers would have been global if Google had managed to get just a few extra people in - someone from the FT? Easy. Someone from the Guardian? Easy. Someone from Le Monde? Easy.
I suspect I may be somewhat out on a limb on this one. What do you think? Are the recommendations too American centric? Is this even a bad thing?
I'm a raving Reader fan but, really, this effort is entirely underwhelming. Why would I care about a bunch of US centric feeds?
Google is listed on an American stock exchange. Most of Google revenues from the States (the UK being the only country big enough, in revenue terms, to warrant its own mention in the financial data). Google's HQ is in America.
I'm not saying Google isn't allowed to be American.
It's my sense that Google aspires to a global scope though. We've recently seen them open an active EU policy blog where they've tackled issues such as privacy. Isn't it a step backwards to use a global platform like Reader to push forward an exclusively American recommendation.
Google's on good terms with many UK and EU newspapers. I know this first hand. The Power Readers would have been global if Google had managed to get just a few extra people in - someone from the FT? Easy. Someone from the Guardian? Easy. Someone from Le Monde? Easy.
I suspect I may be somewhat out on a limb on this one. What do you think? Are the recommendations too American centric? Is this even a bad thing?
