Information overload

Sometimes the amount of information pumped to your eyes through the Internet can become overwhelming. Especially in regard to email and feeds.

In all of this it's very important to note the following: "Don't let the tail wad the dog!", meaning that the Internet exists to serve you and not the other way around.

However I know the feeling of not reading all your mail and worrying about missing that one special thing that would be all-important for your work.

I've come up with a strategy for keeping track of my interests without having to go through all information items and without the "guilt" of not doing it.

In email, I'm using Mozilla Thunderbird and its search folders feature. It allows you to create virtual mail folders (virtual because they don't duplicate storage) that are the result of searching other mail folders for a specific search term like 'Auto-ID', 'automatic identification', etc.


In feeds, I could also use Thunderbird's search folders, but I'm using Google Reader. It, of course, includes Google Search technology to help find the feeds actually worth reading. Unfortunately, Google Reader doesn't have anything similar to search folders, so I have to search manually every time. Still, it's faster and less tiresome than to read all the items.