My Google Reader’s unread items has been at the 1000+ mark now for months. I just don’t have time to click through each item. The thought of scrolling through 1000+ items is daunting, and has led me to ignore my Google Reader altogether.
I’ve thought about it a lot, and have come to the conclusion that I would get more from my feeds if they came in through my Twitter timeline. There would be no pressure to go through ‘unread’ items, just as I have no intention of reading every single tweet that goes through my timeline.
Here’s how I did it.
1. Set up a separate Twitter account.
Sign out of Twitter if you’re already logged in. Click on the Sign Up Now button.
Register for your new Twitter account. This account will be automatically updated with items from your reading list, as they come in.
2. Set up a TwitterFeed account.
Click on "Sign In" - you don't need to register!
Go to TwitterFeed and click on “Sign In”. You don’t need to register for an account, because TwitterFeed uses OpenID. That means that you can log in using your Google username and password.
Click on “Sign In with OpenID”. You will be able to sign in using one of several accounts.
I chose Google
OpenID lets you sign in securely using your credentials from any of these sites. When you choose Google, you get the following login popup:
Enter your Google username and password.
3. Add a Feed to your TwitterFeed
Once you are logged in, click on the “Create New Feed” button.
Click this.
You must choose a Twitter account that TwitterFeed will post to using your feed. Click on the Authenticate with Twitter button.
Click the big blue button
Very similar to OpenID, this part uses OAuth. It lets you provide your Twitter username and password without actually giving that information to TwitterFeed.
Enter your username and password and click "Allow"
Once your Twitter account is associated with the feed, you may proceed to add the RSS address.
Enter the name and url of the RSS feed
Make sure to click on “Advanced Settings”. These settings will help you differentiate this feed’s items from other feeds, as you will probably have multiple feeds in your reading list.
Update every 1/2 hour, display Title only, and put the feed name in "Prefix"
In Advanced Settings, make sure the feed is updated every 1/2 hour. Change the Post to include “title only”, and add the feed’s name under “post prefix”. You can leave all other settings the way they are.
You must repeat this step for every feed in your reading list. You can copy the feed addresses from your Google Reader Subscription list if you wish.
4. Follow your “Reading List” Twitter account
Log out of Twitter, and log back in using your regular account.
Navigate to your new Twitter account and make sure you are following it.
Make sure you are following your reading list
5. Enjoy your Reading List in your Twitter timeline!
Your reading list items should now show up in your Twitter timeline.
Feel free to follow my reading list 