I am a big fan of the Google Feed Reader. I continue to fine tune how I use the tool as I learn more about it.
For example, The Trends page lists how I consume feeds – and how I do not. The smart feed reader should include this page in their weekly review. You can keep yourself productive by following these simple steps:
1. Unsubscribe from feeds that have not been updated in x months. I am settling on nine months. After that point, it’s safe to say the author has moved on.
2. Unsubscribe from feeds I can’t keep up with. The New York Times is a fire hose that I can not keep up with. There are many news outlets that can filter that to the news items I value and I should focus my attention there.
3. Investigate the obscure. This is the real long tail. If I want to present a unique perspective on the world then I should find the niche no one else serves (or subscribes to).
Field Notes 