Hacker News and Information Overload • Hacker News Board

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#21

Post by lleger » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 9:56 PM UTC

This really is a problem. At the end of the day when I'm reading the HN feed, I usually have about 50 tabs open—this stuff is just too interesting. I usually only read the ones that are quick reads though; i.e., a few paragraphs or a list or two or maybe some sample code. Any bigger than that and I'll just skim it, but I mean like hardcore skim so I just get the thesis of the article and not the whole substance. If it's over a couple of pages? Instapapered. My Instapaper grows at a much faster rate than it diminishes.

But this stuff is just too interesting to not at least open and skim. I mean, jesus, a blog post of the fractal dimensionality of the stock market? Come on.

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#22

Post by DanielBMarkham » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 9:59 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #19

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #13

It's been mentioned before -- categories and adaptive thresholds (automatic gain) I think every other site has categories. They seem like a natural thing to do.....

Cue some johnny-b-goode to point you to the feature request link at the bottom of the page ;) But you're right. For starters just two categories would do, hacking and everything else.

If I understand correctly, HN has always had two categories. They just haven't been explicitly put into the UI: Hacking/startups and things that interest hackers.

We've kicked this can around quite a bit, and so far PG doesn't seem to be feeling enough pain to make a change.

Perhaps things will change.

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#23

Post by windsurfer » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 10:05 PM UTC

skolor wrote: post #16

I can't imagine trying to read it via a feed reader. Like you said, that's a lot. What I tend to do is just use the site, not even use a feed at all. When I've got 15-20 minutes to spend reading articles, I'll come to the site. When I don't, I don't bother. If its a particularly good article it will be on the front page all day, so I'll get to read it then. If it isn't, well, it probably wasn't worth reading anyway.…

So your solution to his "It hurts when I do this" is "don't do that".

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#24

Post by tptacek » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 10:14 PM UTC

windsurfer wrote: post #23

skolor wrote: post #16

I can't imagine trying to read it via a feed reader. Like you said, that's a lot. What I tend to do is just use the site, not even use a feed at all. When I've got 15-20 minutes to spend reading articles, I'll come to the site. When I don't, I don't bother. If its a particularly good article it will be on the front page all day, so I'll get to read it then. If it isn't, well, it probably wasn't worth reading anyway.…

So your solution to his "It hurts when I do this" is "don't do that".

What's wrong with that?

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#25

Post by tptacek » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 10:21 PM UTC

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #13

It's been mentioned before -- categories and adaptive thresholds (automatic gain) I think every other site has categories. They seem like a natural thing to do.....

I left reddit as soon as they fractured it into subreddits. The cool thing about HN is that it simultaneously has a diversity of subjects and a community.

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#26

Post by baddox » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 10:22 PM UTC

skolor wrote: post #16

I can't imagine trying to read it via a feed reader. Like you said, that's a lot. What I tend to do is just use the site, not even use a feed at all. When I've got 15-20 minutes to spend reading articles, I'll come to the site. When I don't, I don't bother. If its a particularly good article it will be on the front page all day, so I'll get to read it then. If it isn't, well, it probably wasn't worth reading anyway.…

You're right. This site isn't really designed to be read as a chronological feed. That defeats the purpose of the front page, which puts more popular articles in higher positions an d keeps them visible for longer.

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#27

Post by russell » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 10:23 PM UTC

rw wrote: post #3

pg wrote: post #2

You mean each day 100 posts make it onto the frontpage at some point?

I emailed something to you about this last year. Is there anything you find useful in it? http://exponentialspace.com/hn-churn.txt

I really liked your option to hide already already viewed stories, although I would want to explicitly hide them, because there are interesting posts that I want to come back to.

With a hide button I could go down the page and quickly hide all the "social" stories about get a date, pick a grad school, the latest twitter app, Arrington bashing, and go straight to the good stuff like Erlang. ;-)

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#28

Post by skolor » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 10:29 PM UTC

windsurfer wrote: post #23

skolor wrote: post #16

I can't imagine trying to read it via a feed reader. Like you said, that's a lot. What I tend to do is just use the site, not even use a feed at all. When I've got 15-20 minutes to spend reading articles, I'll come to the site. When I don't, I don't bother. If its a particularly good article it will be on the front page all day, so I'll get to read it then. If it isn't, well, it probably wasn't worth reading anyway.…

So your solution to his "It hurts when I do this" is "don't do that".

In this case, yes.

This isn't a broken leg, its a cut. You keep it clean (ie, don't refresh the front page every five minutes), and you don't poke it. If it was a broken leg (ie, the front page gave you only the chronological order), then there would need a fix.

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#29

Post by windsurfer » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 10:46 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #24

windsurfer wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So your solution to his "It hurts when I do this" is "don't do that".

What's wrong with that?

Well obviously he wants to do it, and he obviously knows it doesn't hurt him when he doesn't, so by saying "don't do that" you're being patronizing. It's pretty insulting.

Re: Hacker News and Information Overload

#30

Post by Tichy » Sat, Sep 05, 2009, 10:48 PM UTC

spitfire wrote: post #5

It's worse than that. Each time an interesting post (say a blog post on fractal dimensionality in the stock market) gets posted ALL of that persons previous work gets posted as well. So you have a head post, followed by 5 other follow up articles which just kills Signal to Noise ratio.

That should just be growing pains, though. Once HN has processed all people with something worthwhile to say, there will be no more previous articles to post - they'll all have been posted before. Things should then normalize...