Personalization Features at Google News

New Google News feature.

[indigojo]

Customize this page - New, neat!

[networks.silicon.com...]
[webuser.co.uk...]
[news.zdnet.com...]

Google News, still in its test or "beta" phase after launching in 2002, says it will let people specify what categories of news to display on the page, giving an array of choices including results chosen by keyword.

[news.google.com...]

[Imaster]

The Google News home page is now customizable, allowing you to add or delete main news categories (such as business, sports and so on), as well as increasing or decreasing the number of headlines within a section. You can also add sections from any of the 22 country-specific versions of Google News to your own page.

[searchenginewatch.com...]
[news.zdnet.com...]

Looks like we would probably soon see my.google.com :)

[edit_g]

This is a pretty cool new feature from Google - you can pick how many stories are displayed and move the sections around on the homepage. But the coolest thing is that you can pick a custom section -- so if you have any news searches you make on a regular basis (for example, I've got around 10 I do every day) you can now add those to your custom Google news homepage.

[news.google.com...]

[Soso]

Looks nice, but still:
- the customization doesn't quite work in my Opera browser
- the custom section (based on keyword) is usefull, but it would be even more useful if I can just get the RSS feed with headlines. It is still a bit impractical that I have to visit their website every time I want to check if there is some new story.

Anyway, they are getting forward.

[PaulPA]

Has anyone figured out a way to exclude press releases from either emailed news alerts or the new personalization feature?

[nutsandbolts]

Google News is fantastic and this is a superb and helpful addition.

[hugo_guzman]

someone mentioned google coming out with a "my.google.com"...

I had an opportunity to speak with Ron Carpinella, GM in charge of the southern United States, back in February of this year and asked him this exact question.

He said that Google had no plans to become a portal (like Yahoo) or allow it's users to create their own personal web pages.

This personalization of Google News sure does come off as a step in that direction though...

[Namaste]

they should add google alerts of the main search...it'll kick ass then

[michael heraghty]

Excellent new feature. I've always thought that news personalisation was a red herring ... until now!

I suggest Google should make the following enhancements:

- Make it easier to delete sections. Currently, you have to click into a section to delete it (it took me a while to figure this out). There should be a way of deleting from what I'll call the "sliding cards view".

- Don't force the user to have to look at Top Stories. And/or don't force those stories to appear at the top of the page.

- Allow me to send my Customised News template to a friend. My brother has similar interests and also supports Tottenham Hotspur (sad but true). It would be cool to send him the "page I made" with headlines relating to both.

[matthew288]

Michael,

Scroll to the very bottom of the Google News page for the feature that allows you to share it with a friend...

[michael heraghty]

Matthew, thanks for that! I hadn't spotted it.

So I guess my new recommendation is: Move the "recommend to friend" link to the top of the page.

[Mario]

Tis a great feature - but once your cookies are removed all your customisation goes down the drain.