One, Use Google Reader? Two, Think the Company Cares? Three, Want to Sign Change.org's Keep Google Reader Running Petition?

1. I don't. 2. I have my doubts. 3. I did sign Change.org's Keep Google Reader Running Petition which has over 120,000 supporters.

Here's the text:

Dear Google:
 
A few years ago -- years, wow -- Google Reader was one of my go-to social networks. It was an accidental one. I was using it for its intended purpose -- aggregating and reading a lot of web content in one place -- but it turns out, a lot of other people were doing the same thing. A lot. Many of which shared interests and when you added the amazing (amazing!) share and comment features, Google Reader blossomed into a wonderful experience for many of us, core to our day-to-day consumption of content online.
 
Unfortunately, you decided to kill those "extra" functions. I'm not here to ask you to reverse that (you should, though). In doing so, Google Reader's day-to-day value declined, and I, like many, ended up using it less often. Instead of hitting the bookmarklet I have on my Chrome install three, four times a day, it's now a once a day (okay, once every other day more often, recently) experience.
 
But it's still a core part of my Internet use. And of the many, many others who are signed below.
 
Our confidence in Google's other products -- Gmail, YouTube, and yes, even Plus -- requires that we trust you in respecting how and why we use your other products. This isn't just about our data in Reader. This is about us using your product because we love it, because it makes our lives better, and because we trust you not to nuke it.
 
Oh.
 
So, please don't destroy that trust. You're a huge corporation, with a market cap which rivals the GDP of nations. You're able to dedicate 20% of your time to products which may never seen the light of day. You experiment in self-driving cars and really cool eyewear which we trust (trust!) you'll use in a manner respectful to our needs, interests, etc.
 
Show us you care.
 
Don't kill Google Reader.

Official Google Blog posts about killing off Google Reader: A second spring of cleaning and Powering Down Google Reader.

In addition to links provided in Mark's post:

For commentary, see also Rupert Goodwins' Killing Google Reader is like killing the bees: we'll all be worse off (The Guardian's Technology Blog) He observes that while Google Reader's user population may have been on the low side, many professionals in the content creation business relied on it for current awareness. Web journalist Laura Hazard Owen is one of them, Google Reader, please don’t go — I need you to do my job (paidContent).

For Google Reader alternations, see also Christina Warren's post on Mashable. Do note her words of caution:

Our only fear with recommending some of these services is the long-term viability of these platforms. ... After being burned by Google Reader, it's hard to trust that these other services will be around for the long haul.

[JH]