WITH all the tools that are available these days I tend to adopt so many tools that I forget about the ones that really worked well in the past. One of these tools is Google Reader. I have used many RSS readers in the past and I have written about the free ones before. The problem is that these days we move between computers quite a bit and if you have to install software on each computer to track websites and the news, it can get to be a daunting task to keep everything in sync.
The only way to really manage your information stream online is to keep it online. The best part of it all is the fact that once again it is a free tool made available by Google. The Google Reader is a great tool and is easy to use and expand. If you have not already registered for Gmail or any of the other Google services I think it is time for you to do it today. Go to http://reader.google.com and register.
Now you can manage your own information stream, or as I like to call it, your own Personal Knowledge Network. As you visit websites or blogs, which your find interesting, you add the RSS feed which will be available on the page to the reader. Now every time there are changes and updates to the website it will appear on your personal Google Reader page at http://reader.google.com . You do not need to visit the pages constantly, you can just go to the page and consume the latest news from all over the web. There is no limit to the number of websites or blogs that you are allowed to follow and it can make life a whole lot easier.
. Nico Baird is an Instructional Designer: Media at the Central University of Technology Free State and New Media and Educational Technology enthusiast and can be contacted at nico@clicksa.co.za.