RSS service Toluu: can they compete with Google Reader?
Written on 31st March 2008
37 COMMENTS 
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
UPDATE: Caleb Elston from Toluu supplied us with 100 invites. Thanks Caleb! Leave a comment if you’d like to receive one.
Ok, it’s not like Friendfeed, but RSS service Toluu is getting a fair amount of attention in the blogosphere. After receiving a beta invite from founder Caleb Elston, I figured it was about time to test the service myself.
So, you could use Toluu as a RSS reader, but it’s not the main purpose of the service. On Toluu it’s all about importing, sharing and discovering. Or like they say themselves: “Feeds locked away in a solitary feedreader? Set them free!” The idea is that you should share your RSS feeds with friends, because the best way to discover new talented bloggers is through the recommendations of your pals. Toluu makes this whole sharing part pretty easy by just asking for an OPML file. Moreover, they offer OpenId support so signing up shouldn’t be all too hard either.
The fun part starts after uploading your feeds. Toluu matches you with people who have the same taste in blogs and recommends feeds ‘you might like’. In my case, the recommended blogs turn out to be Copyblogger and the personal writings of Jason Calacanis and Steve Rubel. Oh well, why not following some more web celebs? However, the recommendations do make sense, since I’m really into blogging and Web 2.0.
Another interesting feature is the Activity page. You’ll get a neat overview of what feeds your friends are adding (with the easy-to-use bookmarklet) and who they’ve added as a contact.
The RSS service is still in beta so I will forgive them some mishaps in the interface. For example, the amount of clicks can be drastically reduced by showing the recommend feeds on the ‘Matches’ page.
ReadWriteWeb really digs this service and even gives you 10 Reasons Why You’re Going to Love Toluu, and they’re not the only one. Yet I have a major concern why Toluu might have some trouble attracting a larger crowd.
The thing is, I’m not sure whether Toluu can survive the community-creating efforts of Google. In case you haven’t noticed yet, Google is adding more and more social features.
One of the latest examples of this strategy happened to be Google Reader-related. Last December, the Internet giant linked Gtalk with Reader so that you can see what your contacts like. This move is based on the same philosophy of Toluu: nobody can make better recommendations than your friends. You trust them, probably have some similar interests and moreover, they’re important to you. Before I was introduced to Toluu, this was THE way for me to discover new blogs and interesting articles.
Another Google Reader feature that might be a threat to Toluu is the recommendations box. It’s right in your face when open Reader and it often comes up with some good blogs.
Despite these overlapping functions, I did decide to use Toluu. Yet I guess this has more to do with my natural interest for new services rather than that I had the feeling I missed something. Moreover, I think Toluu is a very sympathetic service as they promote sharing and have also joined the open data movement.
However, I’m afraid that a lot of Google Readers will just think: “Well, I already know what my Gtalk contacts read, why would I join this new service where none of my friends are?”.
Well, I can just hope that the invite-function and badges like the one the left will do their viral job.
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By Frank Meeuwsen on Mar 31, 2008
you better believe it! Can’t wait to test Toluu. Looks promising next to Google Reader recommendations!
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By Remco on Mar 31, 2008
Yeah baby! I love beta’s.
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By Karel Kolb on Mar 31, 2008
Hoi Ernst-Jan, als eigenaar van dé Nederlandse RSS zoekmachine wil ik natuurlijk graag zo´n invite. :-) Heel benieuwd, dank alvast.
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By mARSHAL SANDLER on Mar 31, 2008
Would like and Invite ! Thanks
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By Matt Smith on Mar 31, 2008
I would like one.
Thanks
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By Alex Rainert on Mar 31, 2008
I’m really interested to try this out. The slowness and often hamfistedness with which Google approaches Social features should provide a nice opportunity for companies like this.
Thanks for the good post,
a
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By David on Mar 31, 2008
Seems cool – I would be pleased to get one invit too :-)
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By bob on Mar 31, 2008
I, for one, agree that if the connections offered are only among and between me and my contacts, who cares. My “friends” and my “contacts” are the poorest possible sources of new information. The reason, of course, is that I already have multiple communications channels engaged between myself and my friends/contacts. The old line “tell me something I don’t already know” applies.
However, if they’re going to find me people with similar interests that I don’t know, and then point me to things in those collections that I don’t already have, that would interest me a great deal.
Unlike item based collaborative filtering, social filtering promises much greater opportunity for serendipities discovery — unless, of course, the sources are limited to known quantities.
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By mirko corli on Mar 31, 2008
Would like an invite too! Thanks
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By Ralf-Peter Grafituus on Mar 31, 2008
Would like to have an invite, too! Thanks! :-)
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By Dario Salvelli on Mar 31, 2008
Hi! Can you send me an invite? Thanks!
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By Dani on Mar 31, 2008
ooh yess please :))
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By Guy Sie on Mar 31, 2008
One invite for me too, please!
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By bemeall on Mar 31, 2008
Would like to receive an invite, thaks! :)
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By P.J. Worsfold on Mar 31, 2008
Sounds very cool – could you send me an invite too?
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By Steve Cherrier on Mar 31, 2008
Thanks for the insightful article! I’d love to participate in the beta as well. Thank you!
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By Michael Lehman on Mar 31, 2008
I would like an invite. Thanks!
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By Stewart on Mar 31, 2008
I would love an invite. Thanks for the chance to have a look at this.
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By philip schroth on Mar 31, 2008
I would like to get an invite, thanks.
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By marco b schiphorst on Mar 31, 2008
sounds real cool. am interested in an invitation. thanks so much
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By Jonno Riekwel on Mar 31, 2008
Invite me too please :D
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By Noah Finn on Mar 31, 2008
I would love an invite. Thanks!
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By Nicki Brøchner on Mar 31, 2008
I would love an invite. Is always on the lookout for new rss feeds
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By PMP on Apr 1, 2008
I would like to get an invite, too.
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By manda.j on Apr 1, 2008
I’d love to check this out as I’m an avid google reader user but wouldn’t mind this if it’s better!
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By David Weller on Apr 1, 2008
Who says you can’t have just one reader? I’d like an invite, please! Thanks
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By Pierro on Apr 1, 2008
Howdy – i guess im to late, but who knows . . if
its possible, put me on your looong invite list . . .
salut and best wishes
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By Pierro on Apr 1, 2008
Wow – I am surprised – thanks for the invite of it.
-> Digg done :) Salut
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By Pim on Apr 1, 2008
Yes, love to test Toluu
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By billyd on Apr 1, 2008
I’d hate an invite. APRIL FOOLS, I’d love one!
Baahaha, I’m almost as funny as Google.
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By Rutger van Waveren on Apr 1, 2008
I’ll have one please :)
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By Brian on Apr 1, 2008
I’d love to have an beta…pretty please?
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By Guy Parkinson on Apr 2, 2008
Yes, please. Not really a big fan of google reader and I want the sharing part in a way that works…
thanks
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By Ivo on Apr 4, 2008
+1 for an invite, thx!
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By koko on Apr 7, 2008
Hello, could I have an invite? Thank you
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By Al Billings on Apr 14, 2008
I’d love an invite to try this out!
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By Kim on May 27, 2008
I’d love an invite if you have any left. Thanks!
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