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As you do with google reader. You can fully export your feeds and move elsewhere. At /least/ they're letting you keep your data. I'm not saying it didn't feel like a dick move... but at least they make it easy to move away. I already switched to another reader and I'm getting more used to it every day. We may be emotionally attached, but the world moves on. How many of these small companies you give money to give you the freedom to download your data?
My understanding is that there are saved stories and meta data that you can't export from google reader (mostly based on comments on this thread https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5371725 because I don't use Google Reader and never have). Is my supposition incorrect?
The way they export your favorites / shares is just a json API that isn't standard. Services will rapidly pick up importing from that format, but besides the feed xml file none of what they give you is that portable.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this will soon no longer be true for Google Calendar. They're dropping CalDav.
They're not dropping CalDav, they're just going to start screening its access: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19gOLSlkTzHi-zub3BkMv7Ot0JML...
So how does that help me if I want to sync iCal with Google Calendar?

Addendum: The way I read that form, they will only consider whitelisting apps if the developers ask for it. As a user, I'm still screwed.

Seems practically a given that Apple iCal and iOS will be whitelisted by Google as clients.

Even Windows Phone 8 has that confirmed: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/15/google-caldav-support-sti...

To me it's not a given since AFAICT Apple software doesn't sync with Google Calendar over CalDav by default. Particularly on iOS you have to go out of your way to enable it—viz. you have to select 'Exchange account' instead of 'Google account'.

In any case, if they're committed to preserving this feature then why are they implementing screening?

CalDav is what the iOS Add Account option for Google uses to sync: http://support.google.com/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en&a...

Seems unlikely they'll drop it given their approach to iOS so far has been to infiltrate the ecosystem with their own Google apps, though never say never I suppose.

As for why they're pushing people towards their own Calendar API, presumably so they can add/promote new features specific to Calendar which aren't present in CalDav. They can get more usage of Calendar-specific APIS/Features by pushing devs towards their own version, instead of letting them default to the CalDav API because that's what they're familiar with.

The responses gathered from API request form also act as a feedback mechanism for their own Calendar API, which they can use to fix any deficiencies.

>Seems unlikely they'll drop it given their approach to iOS so far has been to infiltrate the ecosystem with their own Google apps

Yes, and syncing Calendar data with Apple's calendar App is not this strategy.

Releasing a standalone "Calendar" app for iOS to keep it accessible, controlled, and branded on iOS devices after it stops working and Apple doesn't bother to request whitelisting but promotes iCloud instead, is.

I see.

Thanks for sharing. What a confusing mess!

Actually, if you'll read the ZNet article that post is based on you'll notice that users who didn't connect their Windows Phone calendars to their Google accounts before February are still screwed!

See also http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US//windows-8/use-google-win... :

  I want to connect my Google account after January 30, 2013
  Here's what you need to know:
  
  Unfortunately, with Google changing the way it supports EAS, 
  your Google calendar can’t sync with the Calendar app.
Read the article again. Windows 8/RT isn't the same as Windows Phone (which Google confirmed in the article has been whitelisted). The source of that is the Windows team deciding not to add CardDav/CalDav support to the Metro-style Mail and Calendar apps, so you won't be able to use CardDav/CalDav from any other provider either.
So what about the decision to drop ActiveSync support for anything after Windows 7/Office 2010? If you buy a new windows machine and are a paying apps customer, you are pretty much screwed. Dropping CalDAV doesn't affect this, but it is icing on the cake since it's hardly a guarantee that Apple is going to request whitelisting to make sure it works. (They have iCloud after all & not seeking interoperability will push iCal users who weren't using it for this, toward it.)

CalDAV is the standard and it's pretty clear that Google is backing away from that along with ActiveSync for enterprises and therefore silo-ing Calendar.

Seems far easier to move from Google Reader to an alternative than that, and yet look at the amount of bitching.