Google Reader Shutting Down
We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months.
It strikes me that the App.net APIs would be a fantastic vector to power an RSS replacement service. The metaphors match up well as they are both streams of content, except for the fact that the former is modern, centralised and crafted for real-time use whilst the other is antiquated and teetering on death.