Having made a conscience choice not to watch television anymore has given me enormous freedom!
Not that we don't have a tv sitting in our livingroom, it's just that we never watch it. The only one watching cable in our house is our babysitter! And I'm very ok with that!
It's not that I am against television, it's just that the amount of garbage is too much. So much input that is uninteresting - it's filling up room in my head!
I like to be in charge of what I'm watching and reading. With the amazing development of internet we can now be much more in charge than before! Now I get to decide what to watch, and when. (No, I'm not convinced that interactive television gives me that same kind of freedom. I'm still being directed in what other people want me to watch - and when)
But how do you get 'the right content' to you, without spending hours of searching the web?!
My suggestion: create your own streams of content. Let your greatest websites bring you the items and the news YOU want to receive - not what 'whomever' decides is relevant.
How do you get this great content in one spot?
I use Google Reader. It's a great RSS-feed program that helps you bring the best of anywhere together in one place! Your lap!
How does Google Reader work?
1. Go to www.google.com/reader
If you don't have a google account (think aobut accounts on Gmail, Picassa, Youtube) you have to create one first. I would suggest to make one that uses your full name. It just looks profesional :)
2. Click on the 'Subscribe' button
You create little subscriptions to websites you like most!
3. Copy/paste the web address of pages your like.
Make sure you copy-paste pages that have 'news' on them, or have regularly new items. Pages that never change won't bring you any good articles of course!
Many pages have a 'RSS feed button', but it's a myth to think that you can only use those pages!
I find the best way to check if the page you like to 'stay in touch with' has RSS-ability is by just trying to copy-paste the address in the subscription part. Google will tell you right away if the link works or not!
4. make folders for quick viewing
You can put all your streams in one big folder (I did this for years) or you can devide them in separte folders. In that way you can pick and choose better 'what kind of content' you want to look into.
Just recently I started doing this. Some of the folders I've made:
Not that we don't have a tv sitting in our livingroom, it's just that we never watch it. The only one watching cable in our house is our babysitter! And I'm very ok with that!
It's not that I am against television, it's just that the amount of garbage is too much. So much input that is uninteresting - it's filling up room in my head!
(picture from: Free Stock Photos at 123RF)
I like to be in charge of what I'm watching and reading. With the amazing development of internet we can now be much more in charge than before! Now I get to decide what to watch, and when. (No, I'm not convinced that interactive television gives me that same kind of freedom. I'm still being directed in what other people want me to watch - and when)
But how do you get 'the right content' to you, without spending hours of searching the web?!
My suggestion: create your own streams of content. Let your greatest websites bring you the items and the news YOU want to receive - not what 'whomever' decides is relevant.
How do you get this great content in one spot?
I use Google Reader. It's a great RSS-feed program that helps you bring the best of anywhere together in one place! Your lap!
How does Google Reader work?
1. Go to www.google.com/reader
If you don't have a google account (think aobut accounts on Gmail, Picassa, Youtube) you have to create one first. I would suggest to make one that uses your full name. It just looks profesional :)
2. Click on the 'Subscribe' button
You create little subscriptions to websites you like most!
3. Copy/paste the web address of pages your like.
Make sure you copy-paste pages that have 'news' on them, or have regularly new items. Pages that never change won't bring you any good articles of course!
Many pages have a 'RSS feed button', but it's a myth to think that you can only use those pages!
I find the best way to check if the page you like to 'stay in touch with' has RSS-ability is by just trying to copy-paste the address in the subscription part. Google will tell you right away if the link works or not!
4. make folders for quick viewing
You can put all your streams in one big folder (I did this for years) or you can devide them in separte folders. In that way you can pick and choose better 'what kind of content' you want to look into.
Just recently I started doing this. Some of the folders I've made:
- Marketing - any side that gives me great marketing news/ideas
- Friends - all the blogs of friends that have blogs (if you have a blog, let me know, so i can add!)
- Listen - my favorite folder! All great podcasts I like to listen too! I always seem to go to this folder when I have some time to listen to ANYTHING. Like when I'm driving or traveling
- God - all websites that bring great spiritual input
- World - I just put all news-stream in this one
- Great - Some of the great websites that bring POSITIVE news! I tend to read this folder more often than 'world'
5. start reading!
Google Reader can be used in many different ways. For example, I have a Reader installed on my phone. So whenever I spend some time waiting, I go to my Reader, and instantly I get to the articles, programs and podcasts I love best! Google Reader even keeps track of the posts I read - so the content is always
I realize that you might be using a program like Google Reader that's even better. Or maybe you use the Reader in much more advanced ways. Do you? What am I missing out on?
