Thoughts on information management


On a recent day of annual leave, I managed to get my RSS reader down to 800 articles, the lowest value for some time but still obscenely high. So I started to explore different ways, some of which came from said articles, to keep that number down in future.

Looking at what I already have, in terms of reading lists:

  • Personal Safari reading list (synced with personal devices only)
  • Work Safari reading list (synced with work devices only)
  • RSS reader (available on both work and personal devices)
  • “TO READ” headers in some, otherwise unpopulated, evergreen not cards.

What I wanted to have was something that worked on both personal and work devices. I see potential information to be digested for both camps when using both types of devices, so the first two on the list won’t work for me.

Then I have my RSS reader that is, as stated, full of articles in which I cannot make a dent.

Finally, I have random cards in my evergreen note “Inbox” that should work. However, Obsidian (the app I use for my Evergreen notes) does not have a reliable way of viewing/editing on my iPad (without subscribing and handing over my personal data to someone I wouldn’t trust). My iPad is the tool of choice for my note-taking and long-form writing (this post, for example). Therefore, I need something web-based, or at least not tied to a specific app. I could edit the markdown in a text editor but then lose all the helpers that come with obsidian - the very reason I use the tool.

So, in a (potentially fruitless) effort to standardise my reading list, I have installed Wallabag. This software should enable me to keep better tabs on what I need to digest as I discover information. It might become another place to ignore, but I can already see that this is helping me manage information better. I can now block out time to digest entries in Wallabag without first having to sift through the crap - only the good stuff is there, and I can start evergreen-ing, on any device, without distraction or noise.

I’ll let you know how it goes.