How to Collaborate (or Procrastinate) More with Google Reader

Back in the good old days people would often gather around a water-cooler to discuss the latest news. Forget tradition, Google is adding to our already abundant number of ‘virtual water-coolers’. Socializing and collaboration online goes far beyond GTalk and social networking sites, there are more ways to share and collaborate than you can throw a virtual stick at.

Google Reader couldn’t stay far behind. Of course, it has already been covered how you can share articles you like with friends, and attach notes to them. Although there have been previous complaints that Google is turning Reader into yet another social networking tool, another feature that falls under this category has been announced by Google yesterday.

Google Reader, the virtual water-cooler

Google has added the possibility of commenting on shared items in Google Reader. Although I think there are definitely some good uses for this, they do mention on thing in their official post about this that I think is both concerning and hilarious:

“Now, instead of obsessively asking everyone in your office if they have seen that awesome lego cake article you shared last night, they can tell you how awesome you are, right within Google Reader!”

This is all good and well, but it shows how much our regular interaction with people has shifted from the physical water-cooler, to the countless virtual ones. Now Google Reader is one of those places to discuss the latest news and opinions, without ever getting up and leaving your desk or having a reason to call someone. With all the commenting we do online, do we really still have anything to talk about in person? That’s just a little philosophical question on the side. The reality is, this is a great new development especially if you collaborate often and use anything you can keep track of in Google Reader as source material.

Google Reader feels, at least to me, a bit more You-Tube-Like now…

Do you use the “social” aspects of Google Reader? Or do you just plainly use it as a way to keep posted on your RSS feeds?