How not to drown in information
How not to drown in information
Information sources to pay attention to
This is the first in a series of posts on implementing an information diet composed of impactful, high value content. The idea is to categorize information sources by their depth, breadth, and flow of content using the analogy of bodies of water.
The goal is to spend 80% of your time consuming content from the Ocean, 10% from Lakes and the remaining 10% split between content from rivers and streams.
Content sources from the least important to most important:
Streams
Streams are made up of social media, and blog content. Composed of content that is short, and fast-flowing. The reliability of the information in streams can be a concern. Streams are useful for picking up emerging trends or getting a sense of the "pulse" of a topic. Stream content needs a lot of filtering, and the time spent here should be limited.
X: Great to keep abreast of news and trends especially from accounts you trust. Maximize your use of X by leveraging lists on topics and accounts that you trust and provide value.
Blogs
Rivers
News websites and popular podcasts – A wider, more organized flow. May have a discernible direction/agenda. reliability and quality vary based on the source. Upstream rivers have high quality content but downstream rivers may have reliability issue and biases.
Magazines - Choose high quality content like The Economist.
Newspapers Provide a daily flow of diverse and current information.
Podcasts
Lakes
Lakes are a contained body of knowledge, and are made up of non- classical books, trade publications, TED Talks, and some magazines. Content here can be deep and specialized, or offer a broad survey of a field. Lakes can become stagnant and might not pass the test of time.
Books (Non-Classics)
TED Talks
Documentaries
Trade publications
Oceans
Oceans are wide and vast, and are composed of foundational texts, classical books, and peer-reviewed journals. The content here has passed the test of time, and this is where you should spend the majority of your time (80%). Content in this category have met the lindy effect test.
Books (Classic): foundational texts and Classic books, with their enduring relevance and depth.
Scientific Papers / Peer reviewed journals