Google Reader, Why Hath Thou Forsaken Me?

Written by David Walsh on Friday, June 6, 2008


I need to solicit some help from my readers. Any help would be appreciated.

It’s been brought to my attention that Google Reader (Google’s online RSS client) hasn’t been display my articles since Monday of this week. This is a problem since I’ve posted every day this week.

Does anyone have the slightest idea as to why Google Reader isn’t “seeing” my newer posts? My colleague mentioned that it may be because I’ve used duplicate post ID’s, which I have (fallout with upgrading to newest version of WordPress.)

Please let me know if you have any ideas. I saw a huge drop in subscribers and this clearly the reason.

Thank you!


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Commenter Avatar June 06 / #

I’ve been seeing them just fine with Google Reader.

Commenter Avatar June 06 / #
Will says:

I too have been seeing them fine with Google Reader.

Commenter Avatar June 06 / #
JP says:

Oddly enough, this post made it just fine into my Google Reader feed. The others are still missing, though.

David Walsh June 06 / #
david says:

Hmm. I changed from RSS2 to Atom with this one. Odd.

Commenter Avatar June 06 / #
Marie F says:

Your posts weren’t making it into my Google Reader this week, but this particular one did. However I still was seeing all of your posts because I’m subscribed to CSS Globe, who always posts your posts :)

Commenter Avatar June 06 / #

I was able to see this post as well as Monday’s post in Google Reader, but not the ones in between.

Commenter Avatar June 06 / #
evilhuman says:

As above. Got monday’s, then this one.

Commenter Avatar June 06 / #

David, I would recommend looking at your RSS feed XML. Perhaps it is malformed due to something with WP 2.5.x? Also, if you are using FeedBurner they have a service that will validate your RSS feed. Can you confirm that it is only Google Reader and not others?

Switching to Atom may cause the feed to validate allowing readers to see it. I’m really busy this weekend otherwise I’d help you out more.

David Walsh June 06 / #
david says:

@Eric: Thanks for the offer but I think I’m back in business. Hopefully all goes well.

Commenter Avatar June 06 / #
Binny V A says:

Some suggestions…
1. Use feedburner
2. If you use Google Reader, subscribe to your own feed.
3. Validate your feed.

I did not know about the wordpress issue – I have not run into it yet.

Commenter Avatar June 06 / #
Jeremy says:

Got this one via Google Reader as well… perhaps switching to Atom is the key.

Commenter Avatar June 07 / #
Jan Henkes says:

I noticed the problem, but I received this post in Google Reader..

Commenter Avatar June 07 / #
kRiZ cPEc says:

I received this post, the one on 2 June, and a few posts published during the last week of May.

Commenter Avatar May 26 / #
Patrick says:

Hello, I would like to point out that “why hath thou” is incorrect grammar. Hath is the conjugation for “to have” corresponding with he/she/it, whereas the conjugation for thou is hast, therefore that should read “why hast thou.”

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