Google Reader Social is currently train wrecked

I’m a huge fan of the potential of Google Reader/Social – especially as Google’s miraculous translation tools improve. I’d love to trace the “like” links to Chinese and Indian annotators, then follow their Reader shares into language and knowledge domains I can’t currently follow. I know that’s only a few months away – even though yesterday’s effort to follow one Chinese geek failed without a trace.

As of today, however, Google Reader/Social is horked.

Exhibit A is taken from a mash-up of Google Reader “notes” and “comments” on a (micro-blog, think Twitter status post) “note” written by Patrick J with comments by Rahul and me …

Google Reader - Patrick J note

… Shared by Hanna... Tried to comment on hers but couldn't.

… I've noticed this too. I've been working on this on and off for a while, here and there. It appears to be more prevalent when both people in reader have protected their items…

.. I also add google reader people to a group that allows them access to my items, and in addition I also share my items with other groups/people in my contacts list. I have not noticed a difference in group membership vs. the `bump'…

… People keep bumping off my groups … I cannot comment on some posts.…

… why cannot they merge same post shared by different people. I mean, let me see the post just once and say these people like it. These people have shared it. You want to comment to someone specific then click on their name else write a general comment and we will share it everywhere among your contacts…

… It's a wreck. The comment/note dichotomy, the failure to merge items shared by multiple people, and the inexplicable following failures….

Not to mention that one Google Reader display says I follow 28 people but only shows 14 names, and another view says I’m following 19 people.

It’s a train wreck. I’ve given up on trying to “follow” anyone until Google does a reboot. Instead I’m using the GR “Like” links to find new blogs I can follow in the “traditional” feed reader manner. Now if Google would only improve GR’s translation tools …

See also:

• Gordon's Tech- Google Reader- Experiments with notes, following and sharing
• Gordon's Tech: Google Reader messes up the shared tag feed ...
• Gordon's Notes- Google reader micro-blogging and changes to Gordon Notes
• Gordon's Tech: Google reader: now with translation services (2008)
• Gordon's Notes- Google's confusing social graph strategy- Google reader friends via Google Chat
• Gordon's Notes- Google needs to add permalinks to their social link generated feed page
• Gordon's Tech- Google Reader share broken- Check your Friends list

Update 12/31/09: It's still broken, but Google has the bug on their known issue list.

Update 2/25/2010: It's fixed. Phew. I think it was fixed with the Buzz launch/crash, but it's clearly fixed now. Discovery and following now works.