It’s very surprising just how many Google products have not succeeded. In some ways Google should be applauded for having the guts to kill services that either fail or aren’t aligned with their priorities, but it would be much better for all concerned (Google, the users of these services, and the competitors they destroy by offering these as ‘free’) if Google were more responsible, discerning and rigorous about the products they launch in the first place.
Google Reader joins graveyard of dead Google products | Slate Magazine