The internet is awash with information. Much as it pains me to admit it, there is far too much of it to digest in a lifetime, but that’s not going to stop me trying.
Blogs are an excellent way to keep up to date with new information released on the web and there a few tips and tricks I follow in order to make the most out of the blogs I subscribe to.
By far the best feed aggregator is Google Reader. It utilises Google Gears to give you an offline mode, for those times you’re away from a reliable connection, so when you are on your commute you can catch up on your unread items without the web. It integrates with Firefox seamlessly using Google Reader Watcher Plugin and, through the use of bookmarklets it integrates with pretty much any browser you want. It also has a great mobile version, for times when your laptop is an unavailable or inappropriate option. Here are a few systems I use to try to keep track of the 100+ subscriptions in my Reader.
Organise your Feeds
Google Reader allows you to organise your feeds into folders. It treats these folders more like tags, as you can place any one blog in many folders, which smartly update as you read. That is to say, if you read a post from within one folder, Google Reader marks it as read in all the other folders it exists in. This allows you to get creative about where you place your subscriptions.
Grouping your subscriptions in this way allows you to be more specific when you come to reading them. If you are in the mood to find a new design tutorial, then you can look through your ‘design tutorials’ folder, if you want to see whats going on with the US Election, have a browse of your ‘Politics’ tag. One tip to remember is to group the blogs in a way that is meaningful for you, that reflects the way you read them and don’t stick with the folder tags you create at first. As you subscribe to more blogs, the way you consume them will evolve. An example of this from my own experience is when I first started using Google Reader, I grouped all my Web Design and Development blogs into one ‘Web D&D’ Folder. I found quite quickly that my Web D&D folder was becoming unruly, because it was hard to find an article which suited the mood I was in. Now I have 9 separate folders (including Design Tutorials, Design Inspiration, Development Tutorials, Development Blogs and Design Blogs amongst others). This way I can always quickly find an article appropriate for the time, and consequently because I am not wasting so much time looking for something to read, I am reading more.
Use the Trends Section
Google Reader has a ‘trends’ section, which allows you to look at how you are consuming your blogs. What I find interesting about this is that when I look at my data, I find out surprising things about my areas of interest. I always figured my main interest would be either design or cinema, but the blog I mostly read according to the stats is Lifehacker, a geeky DIY blog.
Discover
Along with the trends, Google can also try to match up what you are reading with other blogs which may be of interest to you. This can lead you to some previously unknown sources of information and can significantly improve your experience.
Star
Like Gmail, Google Reader has a ‘star’ feature. The way I like to use this is to mark an item for further attention. For example, I might stumble on a weekend DIY project from Lifehacker I really want to try out while I’m at work, or I might read what sounds like a great design tutorial while reading on my phone.
One thing to be aware of, try to keep your starred item folder clear. I use it in conjunction with my del.icio.us, so anything I think will be in my starred items for an extended period, I transfer to a more permanent position in my del.icio.us bookmarks. Once used, unstar!!
Feed your interests
This tip isn’t specifically for Google Reader, but it does involve other Google services. When you search Google for web content, news, blogs or anything, you can create an RSS or Atom feed from your search. This can be then subscribed to in the same way as a normal blog.
I manage a fantasy football team online, and one use for this feature that I have seen pay dividends is that I can use an advanced google news search to keep check on any injuries, transfers or team news relevant to all of my players, whilst filtering the bulk of the irrelevant, allowing my to keep informed without wasting time crawling the web.
You could also use this method for finding employment, keeping up to date with a news item or just about anything.
Anyone else have any killer tips? Leave a comment!! Don’t be shy!!
In my house I have terrible reception, truly awful (I’m looking at you, Orange). We have a total black spot our kitchen that once passed through, it is only a matter of time before the call is dropped.