Google Reader Link in Gmail Coming Back After User Backlash

Google made a small but not inconsequential change to the top link menu in Gmail and pretty much every other Google app, except Search, replacing the link to Reader with Photos which leads to Picasa. Reader users that were accustomed to the shortcut were not pleased and quite a few users took to complaining on Twitter, where else. But Google now says the removal was an error and that the link is coming back soon.

"The Reader link at the top of Gmail (and other sites) was accidentally removed. It's coming back soon, we promise. Don't panic," Google said on its official Reader Twitter account.

Late last week, people noticed that the Reader link in Gmail and other Google apps was gone and in its place was a link to Photos, meaning Picasa Web Albums.

The Reader link was relegated to the "More" drop-down menu. Many assumed that Google deemed Picasa more popular and important than Reader and acted accordingly. Reader users, though, were not pleased.

While there are simpler ways of accessing Google Reader, a bookmark or just typing in the address a couple of times in a browser with suggestions, like Firefox or Chrome, are just a couple of alternatives, many wanted to be able to switch between the Google services they used the most from the top link bar.

However, Google has now said that the demotion was an error and the plan was to have both Photos and Reader links. Someone botched it though and moved the Reader link to the More menu.

So Google promised to bring back the Reader link, perhaps as soon as Monday, to appease the fans. At the time of writing, Reader is still behind the More menu, in Gmail, Docs and, well, in Reader itself.

Of course, a much more elegant solution would to be have a personalized top bar with links to the services each user accesses the most or, better yet, a fully customizable link bar.