Comments on: Feed overload? Ditch the guilt, embrace serendipity http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/ Amy Gahran's news and musings on how we communicate in the online age. Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:01:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Feed Reader Overload: Mark All As Read - Dawud Miracle @ dmiracle.com - http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1207019 Feed Reader Overload: Mark All As Read - Dawud Miracle @ dmiracle.com - Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:04:48 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1207019 [...] My option…just not read any of them. Let them all go. Mark them all as read. What I missed, I missed. Simple as that. [...] [...] My option…just not read any of them. Let them all go. Mark them all as read. What I missed, I missed. Simple as that. [...]

]]> By: Podnosh Blog : High Fibre Podcasting » Archive » Social Networking Tips… Beth Kanters Question. My answer http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206683 Podnosh Blog : High Fibre Podcasting » Archive » Social Networking Tips… Beth Kanters Question. My answer Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:23:20 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206683 [...] Beth cites Amy Graham who talks about how she uses her feedreader to keep track of herself on online social networks.  [...] [...] Beth cites Amy Graham who talks about how she uses her feedreader to keep track of herself on online social networks.  [...]

]]> By: bradsayers@gmail.com http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206682 bradsayers@gmail.com Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:31:55 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206682 my motto (one of them) has been to 'loosen up'. Yes, there is a lot on my plate, but I find that skimming, scanning, taking some time to deal with feeds gives me alot more interesting (and current) things to talk about...Brad my motto (one of them) has been to ‘loosen up’. Yes, there is a lot on my plate, but I find that skimming, scanning, taking some time to deal with feeds gives me alot more interesting (and current) things to talk about…Brad

]]> By: Alex http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206681 Alex Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:04:58 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206681 Shameless self-promotion, but I let a computer do the choosing. A bit like listening to music with a Shuffle. I co-created tiinker.com to help me with this problem, and now I hardly ever visit my reader. Shameless self-promotion, but I let a computer do the choosing. A bit like listening to music with a Shuffle. I co-created tiinker.com to help me with this problem, and now I hardly ever visit my reader.

]]> By: Beth Lawton http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206677 Beth Lawton Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:28:31 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206677 There was an article once -- that now, of course, I can't find -- about how people are just clicking on each topic in their RSS list to clean it out. The article mentioned that some people feel a sense of accomplishment or peace from looking at an RSS feed with zero new items. I can relate to that, though a zero new items-reader is is becoming more and more rare for me as I add more and more feeds to the list. I'm glad you've got a management system that's working for you... I might have to steal your ideas. Thanks! There was an article once — that now, of course, I can’t find — about how people are just clicking on each topic in their RSS list to clean it out. The article mentioned that some people feel a sense of accomplishment or peace from looking at an RSS feed with zero new items. I can relate to that, though a zero new items-reader is is becoming more and more rare for me as I add more and more feeds to the list.

I’m glad you’ve got a management system that’s working for you… I might have to steal your ideas. Thanks!

]]> By: Maria Palma http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206676 Maria Palma Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:01:07 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206676 Interesting that I just came across this post (serendipity!) because I just came back from vacation and was thinking about all those feeds that I "need" to catch up with. I know that I don't have to read all of them, but sometimes I feel that I would miss out on something. Now I know....thanks! Interesting that I just came across this post (serendipity!) because I just came back from vacation and was thinking about all those feeds that I “need” to catch up with. I know that I don’t have to read all of them, but sometimes I feel that I would miss out on something. Now I know….thanks!

]]> By: Jill http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206674 Jill Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:00:02 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206674 I secretly love when, by accident I not so accidently click on the wrong part of the name of the feed or the folder and everything in it disappears. Oh well. :) I think I need to do that, actually. I secretly love when, by accident I not so accidently click on the wrong part of the name of the feed or the folder and everything in it disappears. Oh well. :)

I think I need to do that, actually.

]]> By: Amy Gahran http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206671 Amy Gahran Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:42:18 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206671 Núria, I know exactly the stress you're describing. I lived with it for a long time. That's how I came to develop my no-guilt approach to my feed reader. Seriously: remind yourself as you go to look at it that you really <i>don't</i> need to read everything. Scanning headlines really is enough. Take a deep breath and try it. Personally, I've also found that sorting feeds into folders that relate to general topics or current projects can help, because then you're not trying to review everything every time. And of course ditch the feeds you don't really need or care about. Sheila nailed it in her comment: "The echo chamber will help me catch any biggies that I might miss the first go-round [in my feed reader]." I know letting go of guilt can be hard. Hey, I was raised Catholic :-) But actually guilt is a very poor motivator for just about anything. (Actually, it's an inhibitor, not a motivator, so it only gets in the way when you're trying to do something.) If you're going to ditch guilt anywhere in your life, you might as well start with your feed reader :-) My 2 cents, anyway - Amy Gahran Núria, I know exactly the stress you’re describing. I lived with it for a long time.

That’s how I came to develop my no-guilt approach to my feed reader. Seriously: remind yourself as you go to look at it that you really don’t need to read everything. Scanning headlines really is enough. Take a deep breath and try it.

Personally, I’ve also found that sorting feeds into folders that relate to general topics or current projects can help, because then you’re not trying to review everything every time.

And of course ditch the feeds you don’t really need or care about.

Sheila nailed it in her comment: “The echo chamber will help me catch any biggies that I might miss the first go-round [in my feed reader].”

I know letting go of guilt can be hard. Hey, I was raised Catholic :-) But actually guilt is a very poor motivator for just about anything. (Actually, it’s an inhibitor, not a motivator, so it only gets in the way when you’re trying to do something.) If you’re going to ditch guilt anywhere in your life, you might as well start with your feed reader :-)

My 2 cents, anyway

- Amy Gahran

]]> By: Sheila Scarborough http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206669 Sheila Scarborough Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:27:40 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206669 Saw that you'd linked to this post on your Twitter feed; thanks for helping me deal with the guilt! :) I've always been an info junkie, with stacks of magazines on all topics pouring into the house, and I'm a good skimmer so it seemed sorta manageable. Nowadays with that plus online content, I just can't do it unless I do nothing else all day, and I feel like I'm going to miss something important. Must remember that the echo chamber will help me catch any biggies that I might miss the first go-round. Thanks for your post. Saw that you’d linked to this post on your Twitter feed; thanks for helping me deal with the guilt! :)

I’ve always been an info junkie, with stacks of magazines on all topics pouring into the house, and I’m a good skimmer so it seemed sorta manageable.

Nowadays with that plus online content, I just can’t do it unless I do nothing else all day, and I feel like I’m going to miss something important. Must remember that the echo chamber will help me catch any biggies that I might miss the first go-round.

Thanks for your post.

]]> By: Núria http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206668 Núria Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:25:20 +0000 http://www.contentious.com/2007/11/14/feed-overload-ditch-the-guilt-embrace-serendipity/#comment-1206668 I can't stay informed without the Reader. But I am stressed with it also. There's a lot to read and I can't access to it during the day. So, at the evenings, I have 1000 or more feeds ... Depending on the day in some of them I click on the 'read all'. It's too stressing... I can’t stay informed without the Reader.

But I am stressed with it also. There’s a lot to read and I can’t access to it during the day. So, at the evenings, I have 1000 or more feeds …

Depending on the day in some of them I click on the ‘read all’. It’s too stressing…

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