Feature Request: Folders

I would like to be able to organize my feeds into expandable/collapsible categories or folders.

This could take the form of an accordion menu.

A folder could be represented just like other items in the list: a dark-grey folder icon with the folder name next to it. Unlike other items, however, when you click on a folder it could accordion open to reveal nested feed items.

I would also like to be able to delete, rename and reorder (preferably via drag and drop) folders in the list.

[benubois]

Could you tell me a little more about how you use folders?

I made a conscious decision to leave them out because I personally don't use them and just don't have a way to make them look good in the current interface. There's also an uncanny valley I'm trying to avoid with imitating too many OS conventions and drop down folders do not feel of the web to me.

I've attached a screenshot that illustrates my issue with dropdown folders the two icons right next to each other and the margin on the nested the folders is just off-putting to me.

Feature bloat is a big concern to me too and right now I'm just trying to build the feed reader I want to use and hopefully attract people that feel the same.

Believe me when I say: I do not want you to feature bloat this product! Its beauty is in its simplicity and ease of use :)

That said, I'll describe what I'd like to see in the feeds list UI - which is something that is 'normally' accomplished via folders - and I'll leave the actual implementation open to suggestions...

I currently follow around 25 feeds - but I'd love to put the 10-15 webcomics I follow into my feed as well. The issue with this many feeds (and I'm sure others have way more - 100+ wouldn't surprise me) is simply a matter of organization.

I want to group similar feeds together. I also want to be able to put things in any order I like.

The latter item is something covered in other issues, and I see you agree. The former is something that is currently partially covered by tags, but not fully. I'll explain...

Tags
I expect a tagging system to allow me to tag a single item with multiple tags. Thus, that item should not "disappear under" or be "moved into" any given tag, the way you'd move something into a folder. I also expect to be able to filter items by tag.

Folders
I expect a folder system to allow a greater level of organization over tags. I should be able to move items into a container (folder) to create multiple, shorter, easier to consume lists of items. I do typically expect to be able to nest folders, though I do agree this is a major hassle to deal with, both from a UX/UI standpoint as well as a development standpoint.

Currently, tags do allow me to group similar feeds together. However, my feeds list grows longer with every tag I add, which is the exact opposite of my goal of making my list less cluttered and easier to parse visually.

I mentioned maybe making folders like an accordion menu, at which point you may want to call them "categories" or the like. That way, I can have an item in my feed list that hides a group of feeds. If I select the category, the articles list will display all articles (or all unread, depending on that separate filter to the left) from all feeds in that category (the way a tag does now) - but I could also expand the category and select/edit/whatever each feed nested within it.

With that "accordion" system, you'd only have 1 level of nesting to deal with, and it would fit right in with the current UX/UI paradigm.

But that's just one suggestion - Perhaps there's a better solution - Perhaps this is only something I want, and no one else cares about :P

[jasonsandys]

I strongly concur on the folders. I have around 100 feeds I follow, many of them are forums. I do love the simplicity, but with this many feeds, organization is a must.

This also included the ability to rename feeds and resize the feeds tree.

[Zegnat]

I currently follow around 25 feeds - but I'd love to put the 10–15 webcomics I follow into my feed as well. The issue with this many feeds (and I’m sure others have way more—100+ wouldn’t surprise me) is simply a matter of organization.

Hey, you are talking about me! 372 subscriptions, 78 of which are in a folder on Google reader called ‘comics’. I’m slowly moving my feeds over 1 by 1 instead of opting for the mass migration and in the mean time I’ll try to get my head around Feedbin’s tag system.

So far tags seem to work well for grouping feeds together into one feed. You could almost call it merging feeds, I guess. I do agree that folders would help as it would hide the feeds from the list when I don’t need to see them. (Tags just add more clutter to the feed bar as they are displayed in addition.) Just make sure you set the sidebar to showing only unread feeds and it will look slightly nicer.

I’ll report back when I get over 200 feeds going. But I would tell everyone to give tags a try :)

[marwal83]

Folders! Agreed!

[fatlazycat]

Yeah sorry, was looking at feedbin as a replacement for reader and searched the web for folder support. Personally wouldn't be feasible for me to use it without folders.

[bagrow]

+=1 for folder support. It's really all I would need.

[benubois]

Tag Drawers are the new folders http://blog.feedbin.me/2013/04/19/tag-drawers/

[fatlazycat]

I like the tag drawers ! anyway to hide subscriptions already tagged ?

[Zegnat]

@fatlazycat go to the settings page and you’ll see an option ‘Hide tagged feeds’.

[fatlazycat]

thats great, thanks