“Esoterica” was my word! I’m particularly interested in analog knowledge - Google didn’t scan it, and no one bothered to get it out of a 1940s trade publication on Panama hats and onto the internet. There’s a lot of stuff like that and we stand to lose it if we let algorithms drive what we can know. I think analog information will have increasing importance and the web suffers from link erosion and AI pollution/vandalism.
Thank you for this look at your process. I think “efficiency” is the value we most need to get away from when it comes to digital decluttering. All these apps and technology solutions allow us to do “more” - but more of what? I tend to also bookmark a lot of things, but when I’m reading on a particular topic I’ll paste links I want to reference into my Substack draft post itself (so if or when I return to a draft I can sort of see what I had wanted to put in that idea folder).
You're right. "More of what?" Sometimes I believe that storing everything and later synthesizing it will accrete to my knowledge, ability to write, conversational prowess, etc. But only what I actually consume matters. Headlines lead to superficial awareness.
“Esoterica” was my word! I’m particularly interested in analog knowledge - Google didn’t scan it, and no one bothered to get it out of a 1940s trade publication on Panama hats and onto the internet. There’s a lot of stuff like that and we stand to lose it if we let algorithms drive what we can know. I think analog information will have increasing importance and the web suffers from link erosion and AI pollution/vandalism.
Thank you for this look at your process. I think “efficiency” is the value we most need to get away from when it comes to digital decluttering. All these apps and technology solutions allow us to do “more” - but more of what? I tend to also bookmark a lot of things, but when I’m reading on a particular topic I’ll paste links I want to reference into my Substack draft post itself (so if or when I return to a draft I can sort of see what I had wanted to put in that idea folder).
Esoterica! The best.
You're right. "More of what?" Sometimes I believe that storing everything and later synthesizing it will accrete to my knowledge, ability to write, conversational prowess, etc. But only what I actually consume matters. Headlines lead to superficial awareness.