Google Reader Notes
A while back I mentioned that Google Reader Shared Items (which is like a clip blog) needs to be merged with a service like Google Shared Stuff (which is like a clip blog).
The problem I was having is that I could not clip stuff I found outside Google Reader into my Shared Items stream, this meant I had to have two clip streams.
Well now this has been solved with Google Reader Notes.
In the Google Reader console there is now a page called “Your Stuff”, and under this there are two pages called “Shared Items”, and “Notes”.
Clicking on the “Your Stuff” link is a way to see “Shared Items”, and “Notes” in the one stream.
Share with Note
For any item in Google Reader there is an addition to the one-click “Share”, now there is another choice to “Share with Note”
- this pops-up a box where you can add a note/annotation (just like with my Facebook Posted Items).
Notes
“Notes” allows you to make a note without it having to be about a webpage, it’s just like blogging an item.
This can be done via going to the “Notes” page in Google Reader
This automatically shares the item into the “Shared Items” stream, as well as being in your “Notes” stream (which is private).
You can unshare a Note so it no longer appears in your “Shared Items” stream, and is only in your “Notes” stream.
“Note in Reader” bookmarklet
The “Note in Reader” bookmarklet allows you to add an item (along with a note if you like) into your private “Notes” stream.
The bookmarklet also has a box to check to include it in your “Shared Items” stream, before you press submit…otherwise you can decide to share it later on from your “Notes” stream.
Issues
- I wish a Note didn’t share by default
- I’d like to filter the Notes stream by Notes I have shared, and Notes I haven’t shared…this way I can keep some private notes in one spot.
- I can’t edit or delete a Note
- There isn’t a bookmarklet to create a new note (you can only do this from within Google Reader).
What could be next?
- Comments
- Tag “Shared Items”
- A calendar archive
- Template/sidebar additions
- Reblog and item from someone’s “Shared Items” to yours (like Tumblr)
- Merge your “Shared Items” with your friends (like a Tumblr group), or perhaps this could be a network instead like Friendfeed (this is more probable as there already is a “Friends Shared Items” feature.
Google Reader seems to be where I live, so instead of having another window for Webnote, I just like a tab in Google Reader…I wonder if there is a hack.
You’d think they may do this with there own set of products, at the moment at the top of Google Reader I have links to Gmail, Calendar, Docs, etc…what about tabs instead…maybe I’d use Google Notebook, rather then Webnote.
Actually this is what you can do with OtherEgo, but this is more of a profile aggregator by tabs (not quite a lifestream). Not sure if you can add a tab from a private service like Google Reader.
But I like this idea of a private startpage, but instead of widgets on the one page, it’s the whole page by tab.
In one window I could have access to:
Google Reader
Gmail
Twitter
Friendfeed
Facebook
Webnote
del.icio.us
My blog
…and several other pages.
![email.png](http://services.nexodyne.com/email/icon/GxbiQvgbwBgCnw%3D%3D/oIp%2BJMQ%3D/R01haWw%3D/0/image.png"){kind=icon}
By the way, there’s a bookmarklet for adding notes, you can get to it from the header of the “Notes” section.
Mihai Parparita
Google Reader Engineer
Comment by Mihai Parparita — May 8, 2008 @ 3:08 am
Mihai,
“Note in Reader” bookmarklet is adding a note to a shared item. I want a bookmarklet to just add a note
Comment by Johnt — May 8, 2008 @ 7:11 am
Just unchecking the “add to shared item” can add a note but note share it.
Comment by zhang — July 11, 2008 @ 2:57 am
Zhang,
If I have an idea and I want to quickly add a note I open up Google Reader and add a note.
But when I do this from the bookmarklet I have to go to a random webpage, and add my note. But my note is not about this webpage. Doing it this way the title of my note is a hyperlink to the webpage. Whereas when I do it in Google Reader my note does not have a title.
Just thought of another feature…
When I add a note I would like a drop down box where I could choose one of my tags…at the moment the only choice is my shared items.
We all know we can make a tag page public as well.
My use case…
I have a tag in Google Reader with my friends name
- this tag is public
- my friend subscribes to this tag RSS feed
- whenever I have something to share with my friend, I just tag the item
I can’t do this with items I find outside of Google Reader
- if the bookmarklet allowed me to choose a tag, then I would be happy
Comment by Johnt — July 11, 2008 @ 8:59 am
Yeah, now I can tag my externals notes
http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2008/09/friends-everywhere-and-other-friendly.html
Now to be able to add an external note without it having to be about the webpage I’m on
Comment by Johnt — October 7, 2008 @ 12:21 am