Lens?

The Google Reader UI is appalling. AJAX does not an instantly pleasurable user experience make, at least not without some thought put into it. Even Bloglines is less cumbersome.

The sad thing is, it’s unlikely that Google will take Reader back to the shop and overhaul it now that it’s “beta” (ie, all but released save a few tweaks, if it follows other Google products). That’s the real danger of pervasive “beta” releasing: it lowers both customer expectations and the developer’s sense of responsibility. It’s not what the “release early, release often” mantra is all about.

Don’t be afraid to do better, Google, and don’t believe the hype.