Google Reader goes haywire for many users
A number of the Web giant's RSS feed reader devotees notice disappearing subscriptions, feed issues, and other problems with their accounts over the past couple of days.
Sometime over the weekend users of Google's RSS feed reader started issuing complaints on the Google Reader forum: "my feeds don't mark as read," "reader subscription and folders mysteriously reverted back to old settings," "feeds keep refreshing," and "my subscriptions keep disappearing."
Apparently, a number of users experienced sporadic service with their accounts, while others remained unaffected.
Google did not respond to user comments until this morning when it said it was looking into the problems. The delay in response caused panic in some users. One desperate person took to the forum saying, "If Google can read this: Please don't take my reader away!"
Google Reader is a Web-based RSS feed reader that lets users subscribe to as many RSS feeds as they like and then houses them all in one browser window -- which feels a bit like Gmail. Although the service doesn't have a huge following, it does have loyal fans.
Google says that the bug is now fixed. "Yesterday, users began noticing issues with Google Reader, which have now been resolved," a Google spokesperson told CNET. "For everyone who was affected, we apologize for any inconvenience you experienced."