This guest post is by Sarah Wilson
I can get disproportionately excited about new online devices that help me write more efficiently. Like, a while back, I was frothing about Instapaper, a 2.0 equivalent of the Post It note. Here’s how Instapaper works:
You’re wasting time online and stumble on an interesting blog post or New York Times article. You can’t read it now; you’re meant to be finalizing a spreadsheet or something. Printing it out is just wrong. After all, you have one of those Please Consider the Environment email signatures. And you offset your Virgin Atlantic flights. Perhaps you could email it to yourself and flag it. But that seems way too clunky and cluttery.
What to do?
- Install Instapaper (go to instapaper.com) in three easy online steps, or thereabouts.
- Drag the “Read Later” button to your Bookmarks menu.
- Next time you’re reading something you want to go back to, simply click the “Read Later” button and your article is filed in a special folder in cyberspace. For perusal at a more languid juncture.
- Finally, head to instapaper.com every now and then and read what you’ve stored. You can also file the clippings into folders. I’ve divided mine according to the three different magazine columns I write, plus one for my blog, and another for general interest.
More recently I’ve come across Readability, which can then convert my saved reading into a more readable format. Here’s how Readability works:
Again, it’s a new FREE! button that changes stuff you’re reading online into clear, simple, old-school text, getting rid of pop-up ads and annoying eyeball clutter.
- Install the Readability button. Seriously it’s one step.
- Actually it’s two. Once installed, you then adjust your preferences. You can choose between “newspaper”, “novel”, “ebook” and “terminal”. And change the font size and column width. Journalists will love that you can convert to a newspaper format. I read mine like this. Newspapers and magazines were designed to have the best type of font (serif) and column width (narrow enough such that your eye can flick quickly from one line to the next) to make for simple, elegant, fast reading. Just so you know.
- When you’re reading something online, just press the readability bookmarklet on your toolbar and it converts the text into a far happier format. A treat for sore eyes!
Is it just the Capricorn in me, or are these really nifty?
Well, I certainly used to think so. But this week I had a look in my special cyber folder and the sheer volume of tagged URLs sent me into a spiraling fug. It resembled the stack of books piled next to my bed that I’ve “been meaning to read”. And the folders of saved emails that-might-come-in-useful-down-the-track. And the basket next to my couch bulging with newspaper clippings and back issues of Vanity Fair with cornered pages, marking Christopher Hitchins essays I might need to refer back to one day.
And it suddenly occurred to me – my entire life is flagged-for-follow-up. I’m one big backlog of informative material waiting to be attended to. If only there were a rainy Sunday long enough to get through it all, I might finally … get on top of myself.
I hang onto articles because I’m scared of what will happen if I need them one day, and they’re not there. This fear binds me to my stuff. Like many people, I buffer myself with my just-in-cases, instead of flying naked, instead of seeing what will happen if I head out into the clamber armed with just my inner-resourcefulness.
I’ve flown naked before. I hitchhiked through Greece when I was 18 with just the clothes on my back (so, not literally naked); I lived in Paris for a fortnight with no money, no passport, not a single possession to my name (I’d been robbed). Lately, I’ve been thinking I’d like to fly naked again.
I hate making sweeping generational generalizations, but it must be said that those Y kids can teach the rest of us a bit about flying naked. They don’t get excited about Instapaper. This is because they don’t hang onto things. They skim read at the time of receipt, delete and move on. (And they don’t really need Readability. They’ve grown up accustomed to blocking out pop-up ads and scanning different formats.)
The under-30 crew were schooled during a time when you could look up references online in 2 seconds, instead of via the Duwey system when the librarian got back from lunch. They’re au fait with flying naked. Back when I was studying law, some time after the last ice age, if you lost a case note, you were stuffed. Little wonder we hang onto every scribble.
But, let me be the one to break it: times have changed. Information can be Googled or Binged instantly, emails retrieved from servers. Further, ideas move around so fast. There’s no point hanging onto today’s idea because it’s bound to be RT’d or Digg’d to death by tomorrow anyway.
My 20-something brother doesn’t save anything. Why would you, he says. That’s just looking backwards. Where’s the flow of information? Roll forward and gather no moss, is his adage.
I still love my Instapaper and Readability discoveries. But what I loved more this week was going in to my special folder, selecting all and hitting delete. Then hauling my Vanity Fairs and New Yorkers into the communal foyer of my apartment for the neighbors to take. Information shouldn’t be held on to; it should be passed on, like a hot potato. Information in, information out. Sweetly, it’s left more room in my life and my special folder for fresh ideas.
Sarah Wilson is an Australian TV and print journalist (and former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine) who writes about how to make life better. Follow her adventures at sarahwilson.com.au or on twitter.
A heads-up for WTD readers
Leo and Mary will run the next A-list Blogging Bootcamp, How to Create a Blog that Rocks from 13-17 February. Everyone had a blast last time! We’ll be emailing some great articles on blogging. Get yourself on the mailing list by clicking on Leo’s report in the sidebar.
32 Comments, Comment or Ping
ami | 40daystochange
Great tips Sarah. As a former lawyer/paper hoarder, I appreciated the tips on Instapaper and Readability. But your brother’s outlook stopped me in my tracks – maybe we *shouldn’t* keep all the old stuff but keep looking forward. I’ll be giving my delete key a little workout.
Jan 8th, 2010
Jeffrey @ Simple Prose
I tend to use “Read Later” buttons more as “Read Again Later” buttons; that is, I read (or skim) quickly through interesting content, then save it to my read later list ONLY if I find it worth re-reading or responding to. More of a “taking notes” than “tagging for later” approach.
Jan 8th, 2010
Charlotte Rains Dixon
I’ve been struggling with the “fear binding me to my stuff” issue the last couple months. I’m sorting through my office and trying–trying being the operative word so far–to get rid of old story ideas and half-finished projects. The fear part comes in when I think that I’ll never have another decent story idea ever again and so need to hang onto these, most of which I haven’t looked at in years. The thing is, I’m pretty sure if I let go of these old ideas, new ones will come flooding in. So I’m still working on it.
And thanks for the tips on Instapaper and Readability. I’m a little afraid to install them, though, given my propensity to pile up information!
Jan 8th, 2010
Thomas
Readability is superfluous in this context. You just click on the “Text” button instead of on the article title on the Instapaper site, and you get your very readable pure text and relevant images.
Also, Charlotte, you don´t install anything, they´re just bookmarklets and web sites (unless you´re talking about the companion Instapaper iPhone app, which is genius too!).
Jan 8th, 2010
Steve
This is a great article, I must save it for further reference!!! (ha ha)
But really, your explanation about why we hoard information makes a lot of sense. I guess if you really don’t feel the urgency to read it now, then it’s probably not worth bookmarking for later anyway.
I will say Instapaper is still a great service, I use the Instapaper app on my iPod Touch.
Jan 8th, 2010
Bamboo Forest - PunIntended
I can relate to this. In fact in my own blog reading there’s only two blogs that I’m religious about reading every post (even if it means going back to catch up). Those are “Copyblogger” and “Write to Done.” Those are the two blogs that I feel have the greatest potential to help me with my blogging. Everything else I’m a little more liberal with and will not read every post.
Jan 8th, 2010
Christopher
Love this post Sarah! I was all ready to install Instapaper and Readability until I got to the end of the post, and I had a small epiphany! I bookmark SO many articles and posts and videos to read and watch later “when I have time”. Of course I never have time, and end up deleting most and skimming the others, finding something worthwhile in probably only 5% of them. Which is, of course, what I should have just done in the first place.
Thanks for a great post Sarah :)
Jan 8th, 2010
Sarah Wilson
Hey there, like the instatpaper iphone app tip-off. Thanks Thomas.
I’ve written this from Australia, where it’s hot and sunny and I’m about to head off for a surf…and then come back and trawl through the 3948273 articles I’ve saved on instapaper over the holiday period. My advice to self on this…skim and dump anything that won’t help with my life right now. 2010 is all about letting go!!!
Much love and light to all.
Sarah
Jan 8th, 2010
Preedee
How do you return back to the original website after you’re done using Readability?
Jan 8th, 2010
CherylK
This really hit a chord with me. I’ve pledged to clean up my act in 2010 and this little post might just be the nudge that I need. So thanks!
Jan 8th, 2010
Bryan
wouldnt the “Read Later” button have the same functionality as bookmarks? I mean I have myself a “Read Later” folder in my browser. I do the same and if I want to read it again later I put it at that folder and just move it to my other folders depending on the category after I finish reading it. I also star a lot of stuff in my Google Reader and add tags. But still, Its pretty much the same concept. Though I wish I can influence some of my friends to use these kind of stuff, for them its techie stuff thats too complicated that they dont want to try it out. Oh well, saving all these articles for the future is always worth it!
Jan 8th, 2010
Jessica
I might be a Gen Y anomaly. I’m always flagging things to come back to, and keeping bits of paper, books, magazines, etc. My Grandmother is the complete opposite. The family photos and memorabilia which have disappeared into rubbish bin during her lifetime doesn’t bear thinking about.
I’m hoping for a happy medium of keeping the really important stuff and parting with the replaceable. I’m also trying out a system of “If I haven’t looked at it in the fortnight since I flagged it, then it mustn’t be that important.” Still working on that system.
Thanks for sharing your journey. :) Great to hear from a fellow Aussie.
Jan 8th, 2010
Dave Doolin
I am right there with you on this, hanging on to articles. Too many years in front of the photocopier in grad school.
Here’s a tip: email your goodies to post@posterous.com. Then delete them when you have used them elsewhere. Posterous is a great for when you need more than twitter, but less than a blog post.
Jan 8th, 2010
Sharon Lippincott
“I don’t know why Jimmy has such a problem with Mama flying naked.” I nearly fell off the seat when I heard this line come from the toilet stall next to mine at O’Hare Int’l. Turns out Mama was traveling inside a pine box. I heard that 15 years ago and I’m still chuckling. Your post has me chuckling yet again.
Oh yes, the tips are great too. I’m off to download those little apps. They sound way better than keeping 29 browser tabs open for weeks until things mysteriously crash and clear the decks, allowing me to breathe again.
Jan 8th, 2010
Bengt
Great article and I really like Sarah’s comment: 2010 is all about letting go!!!
That’s part of my plans for 2010, let go of everything that does not really matter. Simplicity rules.
Jan 8th, 2010
av8erPrince
Hi Sarah,
This is my first visit here on this site today, and I gotta admit, I am happy that I did. Great post. I usually use the read it later add-on for the mozilla firefox….as it sits right on the url bar, and one click the site is saved to your read it later bookmark folder. :-)
I’ll come back for more soon. Thanks.
Jan 8th, 2010
Kat Eden
I too am on the eternal quest to let things go. It’s a tough addiction to break – I’d rather give up chocolate any day. And that’s saying something!
Oh – love the picture Sarah!
Jan 8th, 2010
Laura Cococcia | The Journal of Cultural Conversation
Perfect, absolutely perfect. I do think it’s a generational trend, for sure. Sarah – I just came upon your site and am amazed.
Jan 9th, 2010
Thomas
Preedee: If you use the new “Instapaper text” bookmarklet which comes in addition to the “Read later” bookmarklet, and has similar functionality to Readability in that it doesn´t save only shows you a purer text version of the site (see http://www.instapaper.com/extras), you only click “View original” at the top to go back to the original article.
Jan 9th, 2010
Ken
Thanks for a very useful post–actually a “wow” moment. I think I’ve read (or scanned) reviews of both Instapaper and Readability before, but you highlight the simplicity of the two and provide great context/rationale for using them, as well as the “delete” button. I browse information fast, but tend to want more time to process (quite beyond my 20s). Result: too many browser tabs or windows open at the end of the day. Between all the skimming and digesting, these tools and new perspective will be quite helpful additions to the toolbox. Is there a zen app for minimizing one’s attachment to things/info?
Enjoy the summer, Sarah, (he says, looking out at snow) and good luck on your goal of letting go in 2010!
Jan 9th, 2010
Hilary
Hi Sara .. great to have these ideas thank you – & as a like Capricorn .. I’m sure I’ll find them useful … especially as I’m not a 20 year old sadly any more!! Still trying to learn the tricks of the trade – so helpful guidelines always useful. I had marked this unread in my Reader to come back to – so another way I suppose.
Your wet Sunday – has become my snowbound (I’m cheating .. not really but lots of the white stuff outside) streets – as I take a couple days away from the daily routine to catch up on 2009 (not what your 20 year old would do!!) .. they’d have txted Xmas greetings & that’d have been it – but I prefer to communicate! Then 2010 can come bounding in & with a couple of tricks up my sleeve from you – perhaps I’ll be able to move forward more quickly!
Have a good 2010 – Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
Jan 9th, 2010
Jane Kirsch
Ah, Sara – you’ve been in my head and on my computer haven’t you? I alreay knew about Readability, but I do like the concept of Instapaper to file really current articles for my “reading time.” The trick will be to keep it very current and read the things placed there on a very frequent basis.
I also like your philosophy of not throwing away all those treasured magazines and clippings, but “sharing” them – makes it seem virtuous somehow to have collected them for others to read. :)
Jan 9th, 2010
Casey Hibbard
Sarah,
You nailed it? Why do we have such guilt for deleting stuff? I seriously feel like I’ll miss a major a-ha if I don’t read certain things. Can the 20-somethings teach us how to skim faster to glean the highlights right then and there?
Thanks!
Casey
Jan 9th, 2010
andy @ the movie scene
I have a simple system when it comes to stuff I find online that I want to read but don’t have the time when I discover them. I just put them to the top of my favourites list and because I am an organizational neat freak when it comes to the PC, the fact they are sitting there bugging me for being out of place means I usually find time to read them at the end of the day or realise that I didn’t need them and delete the link. No need for extra aps to say read again urging me to create more clutter, just the browser.
Jan 10th, 2010
Sarah
This was really interesting. I often mark things in my favourites folder if I think that I want them, but then delete them when they’ve been there for a while and I’m not using them.
It’s true what you said about Gen Y blocking out pop up ads and scanning different formats. But the flip side of this (I find) is that I find it hard to read books, especially, as I’m constantly jumping all over the place. It takes me a while to settle down from ‘internet reading’.
Jan 10th, 2010
Mike Marshall
Thanks for the tips, and for the discussion of a growing problem in my life as well.
I try to avoid the “folder” syndrome. Categorizing things into folders was a technique used before good global search capabilities existed. If you’re saving stuff to “find” it later — that’s probably misguided. If you’re saving stuff to “read” it later — I have two baskets; the stuff I intend to skim, and the stuff I intend to fully read/consume. So the progressing goes “Unread” – to – “Skim” – to “Read”.
Jan 10th, 2010
Sarah Wilson
So true, Mike. We need only save to read, not to file. It’s liberating to think this way. Mostly, productivity these days is about finding ways to USE the ideas we stumble upon. And to so quickly, so we don’t fret that we’ll forget the good idea before we get a chance to use it!!!
Sigh…..
Jan 10th, 2010
Sarah Wilson
Oh, and to Ken and everyone else North-side…enjoy the cold. It’s a scorcher here today…the beach is packed. xxx
Jan 10th, 2010
Anthony
I use Evernote to save things I’m interested in simply because I can do it from any of my computers (work or home) and my phone so it’s in one place. Yes I could probably find it via google or bing later, but that assuming I remember enough about the contents to generate a decent search and find it quickly.
Jan 14th, 2010
Adrian Raynor
Great, witty, well-written – and so true! Many thanks!
Jan 28th, 2010
Gianpaolo Pietri | The Optimalists
Sarah,
I loved reading this post. It was extremely witty and well written and flled with fun great lines such as,
“And it suddenly occurred to me – my entire life is flagged-for-follow-up. I’m one big backlog of informative material waiting to be attended to. If only there were a rainy Sunday long enough to get through it all, I might finally … get on top of myself.”
Love that.
“Like many people, I buffer myself with my just-in-cases, instead of flying naked, instead of seeing what will happen if I head out into the clamber armed with just my inner-resourcefulness.”
I could relate to pretty much everything you wrote. I have a collection of magazines that date back almost a decade, and the stack of books next to my bed seems to grow taller, and never diminish. The books I meant to read before usually end up at the bottom.
Good to know I’m not alone.
Feb 10th, 2010
Reply to “Are You drowning in Interesting-Things-to-Read-on-the-Net? Here’s how to cope”