how I read, online/offline
I've noticed more than a few people that don't usually read magazines in real life like to read them on aeroplanes. (I won't make broad, sweeping generalizations about most being women.)
Maybe it's because the content is bite-size chunky, and they fit well in the seat pocket?
Even if the subject is non-trashy, though, magazines themselves are trashy. Or at best, recycley, which is preceded in preference by reducey.
(I still read books, but) I don't read the newspaper or magazines; I read from the web. I'm not iPhone hip, though, and still rock the off-line, often. I used to print out web-reads for off-line consumption, but I've made another step in paper-less. (The soapbox I'm standing on is 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard.).
My new-school/old-school combo is an aged Palm Pilot with Google Reader and del.icio.us, and Plucker.
Here's my online/offline web-reading strategy:
- Browse the blogs and news feeds I read with Google Reader.
- Kick stuff that looks interesting off to a new (Firefox) tab -- using keystroke
ffwith the Google Reader Quick Links Greasemonkey script (or Better GReader Firefox add-on.) - Mark everything else as Read (keystroke
A,) close Google Reader, and sift through the opened tabs. - Consume what I have time for, and tag longer items for later in del.icio.us as to_read. Using the del.icio.us Bookmarks extension, keystroke
CTRL-D (CMD-D)then typing the tag name does it all. - Use Plucker to grab all of the pages at 1-link depth from my del.icio.us/to_read list, and convert them to a Palm-readable format.
- Sync the Palm
- Read tagged items at leisure, on- or off-line.
No trees, no inks, no waste, no shipping!
No big glossy pictures, either, (yet.)
comments
When you get tired of your palm pilot, we can switch and you can look at my glossy pictures. . . Wonder how much carbon it takes to do all that tagging and tabbing and syncing and charging pilots? *just being devil's advocate
It's true that mags aren't reducey, but I have been reducey (from about a hundred a year to about ten a year) and I am comfortable with that so far. Wonder if there is some "trash trading" I can do? Maybe I'll go dumpster diving in Cali for plastics numbered 1-6?
-- Jenita (August 16, 2007 10:04 AM)
heh. diving would be a fun adventure, if we found the right neighborhood and post-op cleaning supplies.
she appreciates your advocacy.
i'll probably just gloss over anyway.
-- jeffschuler (August 16, 2007 11:52 AM)
Jeff--at least you read and you do go to the library, which keeps me with a job. By the way, how is your job search? If you haven't already done so, please apply at CCPL and/or CPL. We will be one and the same some day. We need you. Please don't leave.
-- lmcshane (August 19, 2007 11:49 AM)
Have you guys used 41pounds.org I know jeff probably tracks people down who send him junk mail and hits them with a stick, but for us normal folk I have had pretty good luck....you have to keep up with it though.
-- PablitoRun (August 22, 2007 11:57 AM)
PablitoRun, I've been meaning to do something of the sort for awhile.
I like that 41pounds seems to offer personal support and persistence when one moves, but I think it's a bit more expensive than comparable services from other groups.
Have to look into it.
-- jeffschuler (August 29, 2007 6:33 PM)
lmcshane, I'm around...
and have a good job right now...
but I do dream of library science.
I'll keep it in mind, thanks!
-- jeffschuler (August 29, 2007 6:39 PM)
Whew! I was afraid that we would lose you. Have you signed up for RSS feeds of Crain's Cleveland from Ebscohost? I love it. I also have Worldwide Energy and Waste News on my toolbar.
-- lmcshane (September 3, 2007 5:42 AM)