[tomkarlo]

In what way is this a move "towards the dark side"? I understand it's disappointing, but whenever someone doesn't do what you want, do you assume they're evil?

There's an underlying sense of entitlement in the tech community that really rubs me the wrong way sometimes, honestly. Sometimes folks are going to make decisions that you don't agree with. That doesn't justify freaking out. "Getting disappointed" shouldn't be filed in the same drawer with "getting cheated" or other such violations.

[mattchew]

I agree that "dark side" is over the top. (I never thought Microsoft was so terrible either.)

Maybe some of the resentment here is from the lingering feeling that Google should still be the best thing on the internet. For quite a long time, everything they did, they did so amazingly well. I loved that company.

They got worse, the rest of the internet got better, and they really don't stand out the way they did. But sometimes I forget that the new Google isn't the same as the old Google, and I feel stung about things like this.

(FWIW, I don't blame them for doing something about Reader. I just wish they had tried selling it on subscription before fitting it for concrete shoes.)

[takluyver]

I've seen a handful of people say that they would have been willing to pay for Reader. But overall, I imagine that the complaining would have been just as loud had they started charging users for something that was previously free. And what if it was still unprofitable? They'd need to go through all the complaints a second time if they decided to close it down anyway.

[camus]

It makes google untrustworthy , where a big entity like Google is supposed to offer stable services. I would have paid for reader , the cost is not an issue , the issue is killing a service without even offering an alternative. The google "dont be evil" propaganda is over. They are as bad as Microsoft and should by treated likewise by the press. And we all know how the press deals with Microsoft.

[tomkarlo]

On what basis does it make Google untrustworthy? Was there some kind of announcement that this service would run forever? Or was that simply your expectation?

It's important to differentiate between what other parties are obligated or have promised to do, and what you want them to do. Failing to deliver on the latter is not a violation of trust. It's like saying someone you dated is untrustworthy because they decided to break up with you and they didn't find you someone new to date.