My system for keeping up with blogs, newsletters, and saving articles to read later is a simple but perhaps unconventional one; email.
Email allows me to pull sources all over the web into one feed I have full control over.
I set up a seperate folder, called “Feed”, with filters so all the blogs etc I want to read land there. I can turn off notifications for the feed and only open it when I intentionally have time to sit down and read something.
With email there’s no distractions, only what I choose to include in my feed gets in. I can choose the client that works for me.
With email the content is saved ready for me to read at my own pace. I can easily delete things I’m not interested in and clear out read emails so it’s never an overwhelming endless list.
My email “Feed” is available everywhere on all devices.
I mostly read it on my Boox NoteAir.
My eyes can relax reading on the e-ink display.
It’s a conscious decision to pick up the Boox to read the feed rather than using the feed to procrastinate.
On the Boox it defaults to the feed folder and doesn’t sync the rest of my inbox.
I don’t have any distractions or notifications on the Boox. It’s peaceful reading without being tempted to check or interrupted by social media. (I also have books on the Boox).
Many platforms will let you subscribe by email (e.g. substack, or techcrunch weekly).
Feedmail lets me convert an RSS feed to emails.
Go2mail lets me take an individual article from the web and send the contents to myself in an email, removing all the ads and distractions.
That’s my system. It works wonders for me.
I like to read my feed over breakfast each morning. Starting my morning slow, without screens and without all the notifications of my phone.
I typically find new blogs to follow from direct recommendations or on social media. I set it up to land in my feed then can return to read it when I’m ready.