It has been just over a week since I started using the new /updates view for /reader rather than the more typical river.
It's been great! It make a refreshing change to visit each person's site again and read their stuff in its home environment.
I'm still informed when someone has written something new (the automatic refresh is 6 hours) but it's not right there in front of me to scroll through (consumption by default.) Instead, I have to make the conscious decision to click out to another site.
Site by site, rather than post by post. It gives me a better feel for things.
I've been leaving a few more comments than I previously would have done, and I seem to take more time with each post when not consuming it in the river view. I also, obviously, get to see the comments left by other people.
The visual variety, rather than river homogeneity, keeps things interesting making me want to visit and read posts in situ. I highly recommend this approach if you're bored with your current consumption habits.
