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Ask HN: What are some keywords you track everyday?

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Re: Ask HN: What are some keywords you track everyday?

#24

I use Google Alerts. It's decent enough I suppose. Checking, it looks like I currently have 27 alerts reflecting various interests and avocations: "blend|portmanteau words" "bryan garner" modern usage "christian jargon" "christian platitudes" "christian slang" "christian-ese" "christianease" "christianese dictionary" "dictionary of christianese" "humor in the bible" "humor of Jesus" "jesus laughing" "jesus sense of h…

Thanks for the tip. I've been on the internet for nearly 30 years, used Google since inception, and this is the first time I've heard of Google Alerts or even knew it was a thing!

Re: Ask HN: What are some keywords you track everyday?

#25
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not just focus on you?

This is a joke right?

Checking in on competitors is one thing, monitoring their every move seems borderline obsessive to the point you're not focusing on your own product roadmap.

I wouldn't want Google alerts about competition. That feels like paranoia.

edit: https://twitter.com/paulg/status/1109220781035307009

Re: Ask HN: What are some keywords you track everyday?

#26
When I hear of some new promising technology - a battery for example, search for it in Google News, setup an alert, and then forget about it.

I got this tip from someone on HN, I wish I remember who, but it's been great: I'm able to ignore 99% of the newly hyped technology without missing out.

I use it for new promising medical treatments as well.

Re: Ask HN: What are some keywords you track everyday?

#27
Google Play Books...Keywords: Science, math, history, collection, classic, nuclear, atomic, pulp, cold war, cinema, Japan, North Korea, Soviet, comic, programming, Linux.

Settings: Use the app or this might not work. Set filter to Price Drops, usually constrained to $2 max for the first run. Make the deals come to you.

If you don't set it to filter for price drops there is a ton of noise with the signal, especially with classic texts.

Add to wishlist as you go. Then review later for purchasing. If there is anything looking amazing at first sight, buy it right then because the price drop sometimes disappears after you navigate away (!). Repeat until your library is full of amazing book deals with pretty covers and interesting titles...this works way better and faster IMO than shopping or browsing Kindle.

Realistically I search a different keyword every day and let a few days pass between same keyword searches.

For HN I have a different set of keywords but thought I'd share this since a lot of us are readers...

Re: Ask HN: What are some keywords you track everyday?

#28
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a joke right?

Checking in on competitors is one thing, monitoring their every move seems borderline obsessive to the point you're not focusing on your own product roadmap. I wouldn't want Google alerts about competition. That feels like paranoia. edit: https://twitter.com/paulg/status/1109220781035307009

> I wouldn't want Google alerts about competition. That feels like paranoia.

Just as with many other jobs and roles, this might not be what many (or even most) people would want to do, but having somebody (even if the kind of person who would be a good fit for it is rare) do it would still be a good thing for organisation as a whole.

Re: Ask HN: What are some keywords you track everyday?

#30

I use Google Alerts. It's decent enough I suppose. Checking, it looks like I currently have 27 alerts reflecting various interests and avocations: "blend|portmanteau words" "bryan garner" modern usage "christian jargon" "christian platitudes" "christian slang" "christian-ese" "christianease" "christianese dictionary" "dictionary of christianese" "humor in the bible" "humor of Jesus" "jesus laughing" "jesus sense of h…

Okay I need to know what's with the jesus laughing thing?
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