How have you been using your RSS reader? Do you read it regularly?
I used my RSS reader for various school projects/classes, but I don't read it on a regular basis. Mostly I forget I have one (unless I need it for classes), and that's OK. Google News is like a RSS feed lite for me, as is Twitter, both of which I use more.
How have you organized your feeds? Does that help you keep up?
When I did use my RSS reader, I organized them by class, and then by topic or keyword. It was really easy to sort through, although I really was overwhelmed at first. Yes, I know I don't have to read EVERY article/feed/etc, but there is something daunting about logging in and seeing a large number of new items.
Which features of Delicious do you use most--beyond bookmarking?
Delicious is another of those things that I used more often for classes than for recreational use. It's interesting to go back through (while cleaning up and judiciously deleting) and see what articles/sites I found for various classes & projects. They can be repurposed, so to speak simply by editing the tags-very good.
Beyond bookmarking, I use the search box by typing in key words of what I'm currently looking for-never know what's going to come up, for good or bad. I also use the "Popular" and "Recent" tabs on the home page. It's interesting to see what others are looking at, although late in the evening (when I'm more likely to be on), the things being bookmarked are mostly in Japanese (?).
Do you have recommendations or suggestions for using either of these tools? I'm not fond of the Google Reader (what I have) because I'm more visual-I don't like the stripped down version of the stories. I like to see the pretty pictures and all that. So, test-drive whatever RSS reader you're thinking about using & see what it does. Not every new item has to be read...or even looked at. It's also OK to delete the feeds you no longer need/want/must have. Really. There aren't any RSS police out there (that I know of) that will force a person to read everything.
Delicious, on the other hand, is actually useful to me. I can bookmark things that I want to look at later from anywhere, and not have the links be tied to one single place. I also set up an account for the Winsted Library, where I've parked things that may come in useful for myself and other staff members.
My best suggestion for either tool (any tool, for that matter) is to find what works best for the job at hand and use it...explore it...and most of all, don't be afraid to stop using it if needed.
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