Readability, or: One problem at a time.
I was reading Neilsen's Lower-Literacy Users article last night. I read the IPDI "Putting Online Influentials to Work for Your Campaign" earlier this week. I didn't enjoy it. Then I tried to read something else, an essay on phenomenalism, pluralism, and the inevitability of determinism. I couldn't stand doing it. I couldn't follow it, I didn't know what it was saying or why it was saying it at all.
I've tried using reader programs, I can't stand that either--even though there are days that I can't read well because of headaches or such things. Really, I have a problem at the other end. I need to get some of that voice recognition software--what with my arthritis I have days where I can hardly pick up a pen, let alone type (try opening a bottle of cola with no grip and a profound caffeine addiction).
But for now I went out and bought a printer. I was struck at how much more I absorbed when I read things on paper that I had only read online before (or, in this case, how little content there was to begin with after all). So I've found my readability solution. I reread the IPDI paper today--I found it much closer to being interesting--now I've found that I'd even like to read the book that they referred to. Now I can read things that are really interesting.
I've tried using reader programs, I can't stand that either--even though there are days that I can't read well because of headaches or such things. Really, I have a problem at the other end. I need to get some of that voice recognition software--what with my arthritis I have days where I can hardly pick up a pen, let alone type (try opening a bottle of cola with no grip and a profound caffeine addiction).
But for now I went out and bought a printer. I was struck at how much more I absorbed when I read things on paper that I had only read online before (or, in this case, how little content there was to begin with after all). So I've found my readability solution. I reread the IPDI paper today--I found it much closer to being interesting--now I've found that I'd even like to read the book that they referred to. Now I can read things that are really interesting.
2 Comments:
Brooks - You can access the Economist via LexisNexis...
While reading short blog posts or scanning news articles works fine on my computer screen, if I want to read anything in depth I almost always print it up (provided I have ink). I also like to highlight anything I read for "serious" reasons, so that obviously means printing it out too.
I always come back to this when I hear people talk about the demise of dead-tree versions of the daily newspaper. While I wouldn't be surprised to see their circulations continue to decline for reasons to do with competing media or lack of time to read one in the morning, I think there will always be a core group of newspaper readers that want to have the newsprint in their hands. I know I will, at least.
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