I have a Firefox plugin called Tranquility Reader, which basically strips out all the ads and bullshit and gives you the article as just plain text on a white background. It also has the option to save the page as a pdf, so if I want to read something later I just do that.
I use Readeck which has a few extra features over Pocket and bookmarks: offline copy, sharable link to said copy, highlights, bookmarks collection and the ability to export saved articles to ebook. Oh and it’s self-hostable.
Personnaly, I mostly use it to bookmark and highlight articles I have read, with some bookmarked to read later.
Thanks for this. I don’t usually dive into longer format article stuff because I find it on my phone and reading on my phone sucks. I tried pocket, but it didn’t function at all on my reader.
This solves that problem reasonably well.
(Edit: also an RSS reader? Maybe I should start using RSS again. I do wish it offered paged navigation controls to better work on an ereader, but it’s definitely an improvement still.)
No, I’ve never really understood the point. I have bookmarks in my browser if I want to save something for later. I don’t really need anything more fancy than that.
I think most people these days don't use browser bookmarks as a "check this out later" tool, and instead as more of a "I frequently need to access this page" function. For me, I only bookmark a page if it's something I frequently access; things like my email, Lemmy, some work apps, etc. In my use-case, bookmarks are a more "permanent" installation to my browser.
Also, "read later" apps generally strip the web page formatting and advertisements, and usually have an offline function of some sort; both of which you typically can't do with bookmarks. These are especially useful for those who like to read on their commute.
I think most people these days don’t use browser bookmarks as a “check this out later” tool, and instead as more of a “I frequently need to access this page” function.
So what’s preventing those people from using bookmarks as “check this out later” tool? The personal preference of using an app that reinvented those same bookmarks? Just create a “read-it-later” later directory and boom, you’re good to go.
Also, “read later” apps generally strip the web page formatting and advertisements, and usually have an offline function of some sort; both of which you typically can’t do with bookmarks.
Yeah, because these are features typically provided by your browser. Hence, browser bookmarks. It’s not a unique feature to read-it-later apps in any way.
So what’s preventing those people from using bookmarks as “check this out later” tool?
Bookmarking a page does not give you control over its content. So if you bookmark something and the host deletes it, you are screwed.
If you instead clip the content or save it as a PDF, you retain access regardless of the original host.
For example, I save every good article I read as a PDF, which I cloud sync to a folder. I have a second folder for stuff I don’t want to keep open as a tab but still want to read later. There are probably far better services out there, but I like the lack of technical dependencies and lock-in.
I don’t use pocket any more but I tried it out. I think the benefit was that you had the sync of articles to read between all devices with pocket.
Personally, I use a browser for specific sites or searches. I use apps like Lemmy (connect) for content discovery pocket is a bridge between the two. It also allowed sharing between peopke. So rather than sharing a link by email or WhatsApp, I’d just add it to their pocket.
So this article was included with Omnivore, which is suggested elsewhere in this thread, but it does provide a bunch of well structured arguments for the utility of a dedicated app.
I use Inoreader to read RSS feeds of my favorite sources, and I save interesting articles to Pocket. I use the tagging feature and sync my Pocket entries to an Obsidian vault using an extension. It creates a web of information I found valuable enough to save, connected by tag. It helps me see trends and topics I’m interested in emerge over time
I’ve used most of the options for this and regardless of the tool I do a terrible job of actually coming back and reading anything in them. Instapaper would probably be my vote for the one I used the most though, connected to my kindle it was nice when I used to travel and could catch up on stuff on the plane. These days I use Inoreader for consuming feeds and it also has a good read later function.
Quick! Crack open The Western Canon by Harold Bloom! Start reading now and don’t stop until you’re done! If it’s not worth reading now it’s not fuckin’ worth reading AT ALL!