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Ask HN: Do you bookmark or collect content?

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Ask HN: Do you bookmark or collect content?

#1
I'm working on an app that's essentially a tool for bookmarking content. We only have a small user base and to take the app where I wanted to go I need to do a lot of work re-writing it. Before I invest more time I wanted to get some ideas of how many people use bookmarks in any form and how.

So what apps/tools/process do you use for bookmarking content and what would you improve ?

If you don't bookmark why not ? Is it a lack of good tools or you just don't have any desire to ?

Re: Ask HN: Do you bookmark or collect content?

#2
Yes, I do, in my browser bookmarks... but I never come back. I just hoard bookmarks and then sweep and prune whole folders from time to time.

The amount of information I'm interested in is such that the time needed to understand it is >>>> my lifetime.

Unfortunately a tool won't help.

Re: Ask HN: Do you bookmark or collect content?

#3
post #2

Yes, I do, in my browser bookmarks... but I never come back. I just hoard bookmarks and then sweep and prune whole folders from time to time. The amount of information I'm interested in is such that the time needed to understand it is >>>> my lifetime. Unfortunately a tool won't help.

That's a very interesting perspective are you mainly using bookmarks for very important content? Do you ever just want somewhere to put stuff temporarily as you're browsing?

Re: Ask HN: Do you bookmark or collect content?

#5

Yes got loads of bookmarks, use Chrome because of the sync facility. Can add/remove bookmarks & they're synced between mobile devices & laptops.

Thanks for your response, I agree sync is an awesome feature. Is there anything you would like to improve about the process of bookmarking ?

Re: Ask HN: Do you bookmark or collect content?

#6
I've always thought it would be nice to have bookmarks that either self destruct or pop-up as a reminder some specified time in the future. For example, I just read an article about creating a bootable USB copy of OS X Mavericks. I bookmarked it as a reminder for when Mavericks comes out. That's a bookmark I'm going to need exactly once in the future and that should be destroyed as soon as I act on it.

Re: Ask HN: Do you bookmark or collect content?

#7

I've always thought it would be nice to have bookmarks that either self destruct or pop-up as a reminder some specified time in the future. For example, I just read an article about creating a bootable USB copy of OS X Mavericks. I bookmarked it as a reminder for when Mavericks comes out. That's a bookmark I'm going to need exactly once in the future and that should be destroyed as soon as I act on it.

That's a very interesting use case and I can see how that would be valuable. I share a similar thought on bookmarks as in right now they are very permanent things when what I really want is like a temporary scrapboard that automatically disappears when I stop adding stuff to it. What do you think would that be useful ?

Re: Ask HN: Do you bookmark or collect content?

#8
In recent years, I have preferred "read it later" services to traditional bookmarks. I delete items once I've read them (rather than building up an archive), and have went from Instapaper to Pocket to Apple's Reading List, each of which was an upgrade in UX.

That leaves traditional bookmarks mainly for select "reference" resources like API documentation.

For whatever reason, I have a strong dislike of "junk drawers", even when they are digital, and like getting rid of things.

Re: Ask HN: Do you bookmark or collect content?

#9
post #8

In recent years, I have preferred "read it later" services to traditional bookmarks. I delete items once I've read them (rather than building up an archive), and have went from Instapaper to Pocket to Apple's Reading List, each of which was an upgrade in UX. That leaves traditional bookmarks mainly for select "reference" resources like API documentation. For whatever reason, I have a strong dislike of "junk drawers",…

So do you think that's what's more important it's not that bookmarks are wrong it's that the UX is terrible ? Or is that reading stuff later is actually what you want to do most of the time with bookmarks ?
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