Moonlit Minds

Inspired by the question by Damond Nollan on Google Reader:

“What do I have to change in my settings to encourage commenting within Google Reader? Second, how would you know people are commenting once you’ve read the post?”

I let myself compile this little how to which perhaps could be of a help also for others.

How to encourage commenting in Google Reader:

1. Go to Sharing settings

2. Assign people you follow and people following you to groups.

3. Edit settings of the group you want to share comments with.

4. In case you want to create special group – go to Google Contacts: http://www.google.com/contacts

how do you know that people are commenting on your shared post?

To check if shared by you item has the comments – go to ‘Comment view’ (just below ‘People you follow’).

I hope it will help new users of Google Reader. Enjoy!

PS: As for today, you will have to go through the procedure of “encouraging comments” every time you log into Google Reader and even each time you refresh it (probably due to some kind of small though annoying bug in the new, social “incarnation” of all Geeks favorite tool )

PS2: Interesting post on the subject by Damond Nollan here: http://www.damondnollan.com/2009/08/could-google-reader-become-next.html#

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Well, I do not write here as much as I would like to. But nevertheless – I would like to wish everybody a calm, peaceful and above all – insightful! – New 2009 Year.

We all are probably under strong influence of news about economic crises and wars. I have always believed that no matter how difficult matters look, there is a brighter side… Try focus on it, and try also to focus not only on yourself.

We have so many amazing and wonderful tools those days, I am thinking about technology – and especially – communication technology, but did it make us happier? Did those things really improved our communication? I beg to differ. We spend more and more time inside not only our houses but – inside our inner worlds. Paradoxically, the technology made for improving our relations with outside world and others, instead of reaching the goal very often destroys the connections. I am far away from blaming the technology for it. I suspect that the reason, why it is so, is hidden in our personalities. We all are more or less narcissistic and all those new “social web” tools facilitate our narcissism.

I am not saying it is wrong. I just wonder if it has to be so. How many of us use Twitter only because we want to have more and more “followers” ? How many of us share a real knowledge and not just the news about some shiny, new “toys”? How often did you comment on blogs or FriendFeed just to be noticed or – hm – sell your product not having anything to say on the subject?

No, I do not say it is wrong – I have no right to it. I just want to point out that this way we, in the same way as mythological Narcissus, become slaves instaed of mastering the tools.

There is, of course, the way to turn the things in our favour. There are probably even more ways than one. But let me point out that one – if you take part in social game as I do, try to think what is your higher goal, your mission. How would you like to improve the lives of others by sharing your words?

You see, perhaps this way you would become less “popular” but maybe in the same time you would teach at least one person something valuable. And as a bonus I hope a useful tip: if I am sharing something here on the net I have in mind one person – my 22 years old son…

Let’s make this New coming Year really happy – for someone else.