Trying the new Reeder app

Software
61

I think that will help, for sure.

But I really miss the “mark as read”. I understand that both apps serve different purposes, but being able to mark as read would bring me a sensation of a more “finite” experience, which is something I really like about RSS.

62

Without Mark as Read (minimum) the app is dead on arrival. Adding all these features people are requesting is basically making it Reeder Classic.

Reeder is a top 5 app for me. Anyone who messes with it gets the harsh words they deserve :slight_smile:

63

I agree. I’ve been using this and I’m on the beta for Tapestry, and I’m not seeing the problem it solves, either. In a tradition RSS reader, it’s so much easier to find older posts because they kinda just stay there.

I’m willing to hang around with both of them, though, because I’ve always appreciated both design “tastes” and maybe it’ll click with me as some point, but so far, it seems a little overwhelming to make sense of.

64

The difference is the point.

The new Reeder is a continuous feed (I suggested the name ‘Feeder’). It’s like the reverse chronological timeline of old Twitter etc and is intended as a universal timeline with the many supported sources. This suits people used to the firehose, idly scrolling, don’t mind their videos mixed in with their fediverse posts - just show me something cool.

On the other hand, Reeder Classic is a traditional RSS reader with an un/read distinction like Google Reader had but that is ultimately like email. For completionists like me, this is preferred. If there is too much, I triage, trim feeds or mark all as read (same as I unsubscribe or archive emails). Similarly, I made an Inbox playlist in Overcast and view my list of Subscriptions rather than Home in YouTube (now using Unwatched) but I read, listen and watch at different times of the day, so different apps are better suited.

I find the Classic approach to be more intentional but it necessarily requires more maintenance? I think the new Reeder is seeking to find a new market and is why Classic is staying around.

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65

Your summary really hits the nail on the head for me, thank you for sharing.

For me (and some of the users in this post), RSS is an intentional task to keep up to date with information I want or need. Endless feeds and doomscrolling don’t work for that, I just need to check what’s “arrived”, and decide my next action (read later, read now, delete). We’re not really the intended user of the new app (which is fine, but as I remarked earlier I feel this is a different product and should have a different name).

I’d actually probably like the new Reeder for my fun RSS feeds, but I hadn’t considered that as a use case. I don’t want two RSS apps and the names not being unique prevented me from fully exploring it and treating it as a supplement to my serious RSS reading.

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66

That’s it! Perfect summary.

I’d love to have the Reeder Classic interface updated to something more like the new Reeder app, though…

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67

Sorry, I wasn’t clear. It’s the naming decision I don’t get, not the difference in approach. I would think a new name for his new version would have been a more reasonable tactic (Feeder would have been a good one), but I’m sure he had his reasons for keeping Reeder.

But I’m really just musing on something that doesn’t actually impact me. I’m very happy Reeder Classic is sticking around. Thinking about it now, it might be the longest running continuous use app I have.

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68

Yes, I started replying to your concern about the name and then the scope expanded to my reflections from beta testing - thanks for the prompt. Reeder has been on my home screen for about a decade and I don’t expect that to change soon.

69

Not surprising to me as Reeder classic can’t even reliably sync read/unread over iCloud.

I can’t use it on my iPad and iPhone as it means that I end up marking the same items as read which I’ve already read on the other device.

I gave up and only use it on iPad now.

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70

Good news for people that want folders:

This update adds initial support for folders, which is still a work in progress.

(Source: release notes of the latest TestFlight build)

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71

After using both since the new Reeder came out, I’m liking the look of it more than Classic. I just can’t get past the issues that have already been talked about.

Also, my local “news” paper’s RSS feed stopped updating on both Classic and in Apple News, but I’m getting new stories from them on the new Reeder app. Any idea why this might be?

72

Are they using the same feed URL?

73

Awesome! They must have updated their RSS address. I managed to get it working in Classic again. I just copied the address from Reeder over and it’s working. Thanks!

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74

Now that Folders have been implemented in the latest updates, how have that improves Reeder experience for you?

I have created a folder called Social, Must Read, Tech News and Business News. It made it easier to shift through my feed depending on the time of the day, for instance, night time will be spent reading each article in “Must Read” while Social is for when I’m commuting in a train.

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75

In the end, I kept using the app and it merged into my routine. I scroll though my feeds and create a “digital magazine” that I read Saturday morning sipping a cappuccino. I like long reads in contrast to the always bombastic social media headlines…

1 Like
76

I tried, I really did. Been testing the beta for a couple months now. It felt like I was back using Tweetbot and having to get through my twitter timeline everyday. I was a timeline completionist and I feel the same way with the new Reeder. It’s an awesome app, just not for my workflow.

77

I’ve enjoyed the new Reeder more once I stopped using it like I used the classic Reeder. I don’t use folders. I just read each feed source individually. Reeder remembers my reading position, and lists entries from newest at the top, so I read going up. When I reach the top of the feed, I’m caught up. Next time I click on the feed I’m at the old top of the content, and I again read up until I reach the beginning of the feed. If I go into a feed and my reading position is at the top of the feed, I know there is no new content.

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78

I was reminded of this thread this morning as I’ve not had time to check through Reeder (Classic) this week and opened it to find 1381 unread items :grimacing: I definitely don’t want a timeline-style system for processing that.

(If you’re wondering, I have folders based on topic, but I also have a folder for feeds to skim, a folder for stuff that usually produces content I need to save for later, a folder for favourites and a folder of feeds that publish daily. Because feeds can belong in multiple folders, you can put them in several places to reflect how you might want to process them.)

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79

I’m trying it alongside Reeder Classic (with a Newsblur back end). I’m not sure I’ve reached a conclusion yet, despite strongly disliking the new app at first. (I decided to subscribe for a year to support the developer, whose work I appreciate and have used for years)

I’m at the point where I feel, more or less, that “Classic” is for scrolling and the new one is for reading, despite the “single time line” model in the new one. After importing all my existing feeds into the new one, I’ve ended up deleting many of them, just keeping the feeds where I will most likely properly read any articles. As William Gallagher said in the recent MPU, it creates a kind of “Sunday Supplement” where I will sit down with the app and spend some time reading articles, for pleasure. I’ve added a few carefully curated YouTube channels - again where I am likely to want to watch most or all videos that are published.

Classic has all the news and tech feeds I want to keep up with, and all the feeds I follow for any reason, where I can scroll through, often see the same news release reported on various sites, get tips and insights, enjoy a quick read or set of images. I’ll use it more sporadically and hit “mark all read” when I feel I’ve caught up enough. It’s more like an in-tray exercise than a sit down and read.

What I am not sure of yet is:

  1. Do I really need two RSS type apps? I already have to decide which feeds to add to which app and there isn’t always a clear distinction between feeds that provide a lot of information often and those that are more “sunday supplement” style.
  2. The new app is breaking my “read later” workflow (where I use Goodlinks to consciously log something I want to read) by assuming that everything in there is something to read. I’m not sure yet if this is a good thing or bad thing.
  3. I really like the design of the new app - typography and lay out is excellent - but my old eyes and brain like reading in a serifed font more than they like a minimalist typography.
  4. There’s a lot in the new app that suggests I am not using it as intended. Adding Mastodon or other social would wreck it for me.
  5. I definitely need classic and I am not sure if I need the new one. I think I would have liked the design and refinement of the new app in the model of the classic app rather than a new app.
  6. I doubt that the developer will continue to give priority to the classic app.

Still sitting on the fence and working it out. Time will tell. I’m surprised that I am using the new app when my initial reaction was strong dislike.

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80

A little update on my use of this app. I’ve stayed with Reeder Classic for my RSS feeds and use the new Reeder as a replacement for Play as my YouTube video player and channel feed.