Monday, March 16, 2009

How to deal with the information overload from blogs, RSS and Twitter?

A typical scenario:

You gradually increase the number of your RSS (Really Simple Syndication feeds) and Twitter subscriptions until you feel like "drowning" in a sea of information.

What to do? How to cope with the information overload?

A few tips from personal experience are listed below. Naturally, this writeup was provoked by a recent Twitter conversation.

Use Google Bookmarks to save useful links and control anxiety over information overload

Save all useful links in Google Bookmarks with labels "To Read", "To Blog," etc. Check the links a week later. You will realize that few from your saved links are worth a second look. This usually removes a large part of the anxiety over information overload.

Check your Twitter updates from last month or even last week. How many of them don't make much sense anymore? How many of them helped somebody? This also helps with the anxiety over information overload.

The key is to save the interesting links you find in a searchable database like Google Bookmarks. You can always look them up later.

You can export your Google Bookmarks at any time. Google does not lock up your data. Delicious.com, bought by the YouTube founders in April 2011 is an excellent alternative. However, Google has the advantage of a single signon for most of the services described in this article.

Use Google Reader to channel and manage large volumes of information

Channel most RSS feeds and high-volume Twitter users (more than 20 updates per day) through Google Reader. Use the "star" and "share" functions of Reader. Save to Google Bookmarks, and blog.

You don't have to read all RSS items in Google Reader (I have 500 RSS subscriptions which produce around 3,000 items per day). Just scan the headlines in Google Reader. Use folders for the ones you really want to read. I constantly switch between "condensed" and full view in Reader by using the keyboard shortcut "1" and "2".

I "star" or share the items in Google Reader that I would like to read later. The really valuable ones are saved in Google Bookmarks. Don't forget that Google Reader searches all the posts you received in you "inbox for the web". You can search only "starred" or shared posts, a particular feed, etc.

Try to "clear" your Google Reader unread items down to zero at the end of each day by following the simple sequence "bookmark, share, star, Twitter and blog. Done."

Twitter - how to control the "fire hydrant" flow of information

Twitter.com is inefficient for dealing with large volume of information. TweetDeck and Seesmic Web are better. Twitter search alerts and "subscribe to RSS" of individual users also work well. Twitter also takes time because if often requires you to click the shortened URL to see the source and full text. Google Reader extracts the full text (for full text feeds) or a snippet.

It takes approximately 2 hours a day to keep up with 200 RSS subscriptions, 100 Twitter accounts, and maintain the blog(s). It is doable, if you don't watch TV.

Centralize your online activities to gain full control over information flow

Centralize all files and links, etc. as much as possible. Make them searchable. Google services with backup is probably your best option at this time. I use Google Reader, Bookmarks, Blogger, Docs, Calendar, Gmail, Tasks. Make your information scanning and analysis centralized and as simple as possible. Use as few services as possible.

A circle of online information for maximum efficiency and impact

The circle of online information is as follows: Google Reader -> Share on Twitter -> Get feedback -> Write a blog post -> Share via RSS and Twitter -> Get feedback, go on.

Here is how to facilitate the Rise of the ePhysican who works hand in hand with the ePatient:



You may want to import your Twitter feed in Facebook as status updates by adding the Twitter application to Facebook.

Backup gives you peace of mind

I keep most my files and project in Google Docs. My browser of choice is Google Chrome with 5-6 extensions - RSS, Chromed Bird, password manager, Page Rank check, etc. If I can't install Chrome, I carry 2-3 portable browsers on a USB drive with favorite bookmarks or Chrome Sync. Good portable browsers include Chrome, Opera and Firefox.

I have an archive of scanned documents in PDF format, photos, video files, etc. that is backed up to Amazon S3, Amazon Cloud Drive and several external hard drives. The files are encrypted with 7zip and protected by 30-character unique passwords.

That's a start. If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below. If you have any questions, feel free to email me (the address is at the bottom of each page on this website).

References

How to Become a Super Tweeter in Just 15 Minutes a Day with iGoogle. MicroPersuasion, 2009.
Tips: How to Filter and Manage Your Online Social Life http://is.gd/vZnf
Information overload. Life in the Fast Lane, 2009.
Strategies for coping with information overload in medicine - the ostrich, the pigeon, and the owl strategy. BMJ, 2010.
Check the series "What I Read" by different people in The Atlantic (scroll to the bottom of the page to see other links) http://goo.gl/xWUb
Practical tips for better science blogging - check the comments: http://goo.gl/B1n9
Using Instapaper, RSS and Twitter to Create Your Internet Newspaper. Bridging the Nerd Gap, 2011.

Updated: 04/27/2011
Posted by at
Labels: , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)