Google has shut down many more services than Reader. I am not certain why you choose to highlight only Reader as if that's the one thing Google has ever shut down. Even of the things Google hasn't shut down, many have been "wound down", with no updates or even bug fixes, until eventually being replaced by something only half-related with no upgrade path. The "more wood behind fewer arrows" thing kind of became a meme for a while, so the fact that people (it isn't just you) latch on to one example they've heard of as if the constant shutterings don't happen is highly strange. Even key properties that seem highly embedded in numerous products (Checkout) get this treatment, so it isn't like anything is immune.