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Three Web-Based RSS Readers: Page 6 of 7

However, Newsgator's user interface is the least customizable of the three readers. It shows each entry in an expanded view along with a row of icons for actions you can take -- mark it as read, add it to a Clippings folder, email it, IM it, or view or add comments. It also displays a set of ratings stars which work only for items rated in Newsgator's own rating system (you can install the ratings applet on your blog or Web site from the Settings menu.)

RSS Readers

•  Introduction

•  Bloglines

•  Google Reader

•  Newsgator Online

Newsgator Online has features that let you use it as a communication and publishing tool, but not as flexibly as Google Reader's shared lists or Blogline's blog. Your Clippings page is automatically formatted as an RSS feed that you can make public, accessible to anyone, or keep private, requiring your login and password for access. If you want to share your Clippings page, just make it public, copy the link that appears at the bottom of the page. and e-mail it to whomever you like.

Other output methods are available if you search for them (they're semi-hidden under the "Edit Locations" tab in the Settings menu). In addition to a standard OPML export function, you can publish your subscription entries as a "Headlines" list in other Web pages in a manner similar to Google Reader's list publication feature -- you format the list in Newsgator Online's settings menu. (The entry format is written in HTML and uses tags for objects like the entry headline and description, and because it's HTML you can include text and images to the limits of your coding skills.)

You don't have much control over which entries get published other than to select a number of entries to include, and the number of characters of the text of each entry that is included. To make the list appear in a Web page embed a line of JavaScript code in that page. You can publish your blogroll in the same manner, with the same formatting controls.

Bottom line: If you like to fiddle with your feeds, Newsgator's subscription features and drag-and-drop interface for the navigation bar will be to your liking, but the lack of a customizable entry display and limited information management and collaboration options put Newsgator Online at a disadvantage compared to Bloglines and Google Reader.