Yes, before 2008. Google was a breath of fresh air against all things corporaty. There was a time when people said "anything good for google is good for the internet" (https://broadbandpolitics.com/2008/07/18/whats-good-for-google-is-good-for-the-internet/). They were instrumental in pushing the boundaries of web 2.0. Google maps with its seamless tiling or auto complete for search results or desktop search were all nothing short of magical at that time. Gone are those days though..
Was planning on doing something similar. I think adding more topics like science and specific sports could be useful.
Edit: My scrolling cut off half the list of communities. Looks like you already have those.
Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't most RSS feeds just have the Title and a snippet these days. You still have to click through to read the article, right?