What Is A Reader?

I'm fairly new to the "experienced" blogging world, but I've learned a lot in the last few months and feel the need to pass along some knowledge of what I've pieced together. The first being a reader and what it will do for you.

A reader is a convenient little tool that looks just like an email inbox where you can have all of your favorite blogs delivered to one place and you'll always know when your favorite bloggers post something new because it will show up just like a new email.

Most of you can gain access to a reader through your email provider.... especially google *swoon* (I heart google) or yahoo, etc. Just look for the term "reader" and sign up for it. No, it doesn't cost anything.

If you go to google, look in the upper left corner at all of the links (Images, Maps, News, Shopping, Gmail, More) You'll find reader under "more." You don't have to use your email provider and in case you haven't already noticed, I highly recommend google's reader. Just sign up for it. It really simplifies blog reading especially once you've found a TON of blogs that you love.

Once you get it, feel free to practice by subscribing to my blog first using the button up there in the top right corner.

Part II of a reader would be providing an RSS feed for your readers to subscribe to. I do this through Feedburner. They've just been bought out by google and did the big switch this week which is why I think that my count dropped so drastically... it was all in the changeover. They're good now though.

Anyway, if you do not have a separate email address for your blog, I highly recommend doing it before you sign up for services such as Feedburner. Simply because they will also give you the capability to provide email subscriptions for your readers who do not have a burner. Personally, I try to seperate my personal identity from my blogging identity as much as possible, so all of my email posts are mailed out with my blogging identity's email on them.

Hope this is helpful. I tried to keep it simple. Please feel free to ask questions. I'll be checking back throughout the night to answer them if I can. I'll explain the StatCounter and other cool tracking tools like Google Analytics in my next installment.

Honestly, just in case you missed my other 40 plugs for them.... having all of your blogging stuff on google is WONDERFUL. You only have to sign in once and you can go from email, to reader, to blogger, to analytics and on and on and on...

ETA: A bit of blogging etiquette for those of you who are still learning right along with me. When we link one another, it helps our ratings all over the World Wide Web. SO... if you are inspired by something that someone else posts and you decide to use it for your blog, the best thing to do is link the blogger who inspired you. Give them some love... some props. I prefer to be linked by name because I like the attention... so I do the same in return most of the time.

ETAA: After Mama Kat linked over to this, I thought I'd throw in that the only other pertinent information that I can offer is posted here.

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