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The signal to noise ratio on HN could be massively improved if the site implemented a simple filter which disallowed resubmission of duplicate URLS. I browse th

The signal to noise ratio on HN could be massively improved if the site implemented a simple filter which disallowed resubmission of duplicate URLS. I browse the site by the "New" tab and, when a popular news story breaks, it's not unusual to see the same link posted half a dozen times, or more. Personally, I'd find a filter which removed all submissions with the word "Awesome" in the title, or any sites which used those annoying JavaScript overlays on top of what you're trying to read, a great help, too! As regards your service, good luck with it, but I don't think it's for me. It sounds like it could be a lot of work for you to keep it up and I'd be a bit dubious as to just how much reading and comprehension time your summarisers could devote to [especially] complex or nuanced articles. I'm also reluctant to put too much faith in someone else's interpretation as to whether an article is good, unbiased or [to quote your example] "well-researched", etc. Those things are all "in the eye of the beholder" and one man's well-researched article might be another man's blatant propaganda piece. I'd rather form my own opinions, by going to the source, than play Chinese Whispers.

abhi3 10y ago
The point of this service is not to replace actual self-reading; but rather - Give people some idea of what the article is actually about so they can decide if they can/should invest time to read it. Most people don't have time to do all the reading they want to do and having more info than just a clickbait headline will help them allocate their time in a more productive way. Example this is how Vox.com is showing new articles on its "new" page: "Big Marijuana is coming — and even legalization supporters are worried" (An activist explains why he left the movement." The headline and snippet gives you no information what the article is about. You have to actually read 2500 words over 50 paragraphs to know what it is about, in the end you might like it, or be dissapointed, its a gamble. But by reading a well written analysis you can have a fair idea of what you are getting into before you invest 15-20 minutes of your time into it. Do this for 10 articles a day and 300 a month, the time you save adds up quickly.

abhi3 10y ago

The point of this service is not to replace actual self-reading; but rather - Give people some idea of what the article is actually about so they can decide if they can/should invest time to read it. Most people don't have time to do all the reading they want to do and having more info than just a clickbait headline will help them allocate their time in a more productive way. Example this is how Vox.com is showing new articles on its "new" page: "Big Marijuana is coming — and even legalization supporters are worried" (An activist explains why he left the movement." The headline and snippet gives you no information what the article is about. You have to actually read 2500 words over 50 paragraphs to know what it is about, in the end you might like it, or be dissapointed, its a gamble. But by reading a well written analysis you can have a fair idea of what you are getting into before you invest 15-20 minutes of your time into it. Do this for 10 articles a day and 300 a month, the time you save adds up quickly.