5 ms·

Does anyone else have a long list of dense material like this that you have an intention of going through someday? Do you ever end up actually doing it?

by bfors 4y ago

shakezula 4y ago
Funny you mention that, cause I just added this article to a longer-ish list of long-form posts I want to read in depth. I don't make my way to that list as often as I'd like, but I have found plane trips and other similar times are great for when I want to do something like that. Sitting down with a longer blog post and taking notes on a 5 hour flight is oddly relaxing. So yes, to answer your question, I do get around to it eventually when the post is worthwhile.
stinkytaco 4y ago
So long. Bookmarks, pocket articles, org-roam notes, things jotted in notebooks, I even have an org capture template that quickly populates a list of "recommended media" (books, movies, etc) from friends and relations. Maintaining my list of things to read or watch has become a hobby unto itself. Every once and a while I go through some[1] of it and ask myself "Will I ever actually look at this"? Sometimes there's a clear answer, but more often it stays in the list because it still looks interesting and I only consume maybe 5-10% of what I saved. There's got to be some term for this. Digital hording? It makes me anxious to have it and anxious to just delete it. There are plenty of times I do remember something I saw and wish I could find it again, but I lean too hard into "maybe I'll think about this again and want it". [1]: It's so long I generally lose the will to even evaluate the items after a while.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
patcon 4y ago
I keep such a list in Roam, and usually neglect to pluck things from it. But it's more that when I go to add something and it's already there or has some relation to something already there (e.g. same author), I'll often give it more attention immediately. It's not the best system, but I suspect it's better than never writing it down :) (This perhaps a bit of an ADHD-specific tactic)
- loquor 4y ago
  "Pluck" is a wonderful verb for this action of picking from a curated list. Thanks, I will use it from now on.
jimmySixDOF 4y ago
One way to go is through a text to speech reader so its the kind of thing you can listen to standing in line at the bank. Speechify is a good service for bookmarking into a listening list. Ps YMMV a lot based on figures code snippets and anything illustrated so not for all content including the featured article
- leobg 4y ago
  Tried Speechify on my phone and found it terrible. Hated the navigation and found the pricing model ridiculous. Deleted it and stuck with Voice Dream Reader. It’s the first app I install on every iPhone, and where I keep all my reading - articles, ebooks, and even physical books which I scan just so I can read them inside VDR. I can read with my eyes. I can listen to the text while doing other things. And I can take highlights and notes and export them. This also is my answer to OP. I save these articles to VDR. And when I have time to read or listen to something, I open the app. It helps that VDR shows me the length of each document in terms of reading time. When you ask me how long a particular book was, I’ll say “It’s a 12 hour book”. Really helps to put things in perspective.
goldfeld 4y ago
In the aftermath of a long prostrated war with tabs on browsers on tabs (bookmarks for me I know it's where links go to die, often literally so) and figuring I rather work analog than digital, I came to a system to debrief and save references. I always save the HN thread when applicable rather than the link, because it gives me short hand notation and normalization for writing with a pen. Now in a paper notebook I have a few pages where each line is a theme, a word etc. Next to it write the HN ids (can as well save a comment thread; superbly useful) to reference under that theme. Done. If particularly useful I can write few words in small print over the id detailing more the subject of a link. This is however done for a set purpose, as reference material for writing speculative and science fiction (HN is great for ideas and research) and also articles. When and whether I finally visit a link is staked on a piece and theme ever getting picked by me for writing; I find this is a great compromise and more realistic than simply hoarding.
aquajet 4y ago
I've been experimenting with a search engine/personal assistant to index the long list of material for me, and feed back snippets/articles as I want. I guess the analogy is having a person "read" the material for me and use it to answer general questions I have/point me to the article. If you want to try it for yourself id be happy to give you beta access. I'm still experimenting for the best UX.

Does anyone else have a long list of dense material like this that you have an intention of going through someday? Do you ever end up actually doing it?

by bfors 4y ago

Does anyone else have a long list of dense material like this that you have an intention of going through someday? Do you ever end up actually doing it?

shakezula 4y ago

Funny you mention that, cause I just added this article to a longer-ish list of long-form posts I want to read in depth. I don't make my way to that list as often as I'd like, but I have found plane trips and other similar times are great for when I want to do something like that. Sitting down with a longer blog post and taking notes on a 5 hour flight is oddly relaxing. So yes, to answer your question, I do get around to it eventually when the post is worthwhile.

stinkytaco 4y ago

So long. Bookmarks, pocket articles, org-roam notes, things jotted in notebooks, I even have an org capture template that quickly populates a list of "recommended media" (books, movies, etc) from friends and relations. Maintaining my list of things to read or watch has become a hobby unto itself. Every once and a while I go through some[1] of it and ask myself "Will I ever actually look at this"? Sometimes there's a clear answer, but more often it stays in the list because it still looks interesting and I only consume maybe 5-10% of what I saved. There's got to be some term for this. Digital hording? It makes me anxious to have it and anxious to just delete it. There are plenty of times I do remember something I saw and wish I could find it again, but I lean too hard into "maybe I'll think about this again and want it". [1]: It's so long I generally lose the will to even evaluate the items after a while.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

patcon 4y ago

I keep such a list in Roam, and usually neglect to pluck things from it. But it's more that when I go to add something and it's already there or has some relation to something already there (e.g. same author), I'll often give it more attention immediately. It's not the best system, but I suspect it's better than never writing it down :) (This perhaps a bit of an ADHD-specific tactic)

loquor 4y ago
"Pluck" is a wonderful verb for this action of picking from a curated list. Thanks, I will use it from now on.

jimmySixDOF 4y ago

One way to go is through a text to speech reader so its the kind of thing you can listen to standing in line at the bank. Speechify is a good service for bookmarking into a listening list. Ps YMMV a lot based on figures code snippets and anything illustrated so not for all content including the featured article

leobg 4y ago
Tried Speechify on my phone and found it terrible. Hated the navigation and found the pricing model ridiculous. Deleted it and stuck with Voice Dream Reader. It’s the first app I install on every iPhone, and where I keep all my reading - articles, ebooks, and even physical books which I scan just so I can read them inside VDR. I can read with my eyes. I can listen to the text while doing other things. And I can take highlights and notes and export them. This also is my answer to OP. I save these articles to VDR. And when I have time to read or listen to something, I open the app. It helps that VDR shows me the length of each document in terms of reading time. When you ask me how long a particular book was, I’ll say “It’s a 12 hour book”. Really helps to put things in perspective.

goldfeld 4y ago

In the aftermath of a long prostrated war with tabs on browsers on tabs (bookmarks for me I know it's where links go to die, often literally so) and figuring I rather work analog than digital, I came to a system to debrief and save references. I always save the HN thread when applicable rather than the link, because it gives me short hand notation and normalization for writing with a pen. Now in a paper notebook I have a few pages where each line is a theme, a word etc. Next to it write the HN ids (can as well save a comment thread; superbly useful) to reference under that theme. Done. If particularly useful I can write few words in small print over the id detailing more the subject of a link. This is however done for a set purpose, as reference material for writing speculative and science fiction (HN is great for ideas and research) and also articles. When and whether I finally visit a link is staked on a piece and theme ever getting picked by me for writing; I find this is a great compromise and more realistic than simply hoarding.

aquajet 4y ago

I've been experimenting with a search engine/personal assistant to index the long list of material for me, and feed back snippets/articles as I want. I guess the analogy is having a person "read" the material for me and use it to answer general questions I have/point me to the article. If you want to try it for yourself id be happy to give you beta access. I'm still experimenting for the best UX.