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For texts that are suited for skimming, perhaps less interesting texts, I can see tools like these being useful. But I hope you're not reading novels this way.
by msvan 12y ago
For texts that are suited for skimming, perhaps less interesting texts, I can see tools like these being useful.
But I hope you're not reading novels this way. Increasing the speed might help you finish more books, but to what end? Should books also be one of those areas in life where we constantly have to perform and stay on top? If I read Pride and Prejudice I'll do it for my own enjoyment, at whatever pace I like. I kind of like that no one is timing my reading.
- hudbuddy 12y agoI wholeheartedly agree. I chose those texts for their accessibility and simply as a demonstration.
- hudbuddy 12y agoThat said, I would encourage folks to try it on stimulating pieces as well. It's great for keeping your mind focused. And as I state somewhere in the site, with all of the options I've built in, there really is no pressure to read quickly. This despite the fact that it can certainly be used for speed reading as well.
- ics 12y ago> If I read Pride and Prejudice I'll do it for my own enjoyment, at whatever pace I like. ...and some people will want to read it fast, with a tool like this. There are more nuanced answers to why someone might want to speed read certain texts but in response to your post I believe that is enough. Even as an avid reader, I know there is a time and place for different techniques and there's no harm in general to using tools like this (even for novels, etc.). I do think that people should, if they can, learn to enjoy reading at some point and that if this became the norm for reading in school there would be a problem, but until then...