tombert
I read a lot, and I own a lot of physical books, but I
almost never actually read physical books anymore. I'm one
of the happy few that used my Kindle for more than a week
after getting it as a gift.I find that reading on an
ereader is many times easier for me, primarily because I
can make the text gigantic and I don't lose track of my
place on the page nearly as often. I'm not dyslexic (I've
been tested), but I do think that there's some issue with
my brain where if the text is small I really can't follow
it. On all my computers the text is gigantic and even then
I will click and highlight text as I'm reading so don't
lose place. I would love to be paid to read but I don't
think I'd love to be paid to read physical books.I
remember my grandmother was wholly unconvinced that my
Kindle was a different thing than an iPad or a Game Boy,
and that it was not "real" reading, for whatever reason.
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> mulderc
One thing I do with my students is show them how to
adjust text size and have them try out larger sizes. I
think a surprisingly large number of people have never
even attempted to change the text size on their
devices and many can benefit from something different
than the defaults.
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> > tombert
I sort of discovered this accidentally twice.First
was when I go the Kindle I realized I could make
the text as big as I wanted so I would do that, as
stated before.Another time is when I wanted an
external monitor and I bought a big TV because it
was much cheaper. Because the TV was bigger the
text was also bigger, and I realized how much
easier it was for me to work.I think I used to
feel like there was a "coolness" factor to keeping
the text small. I don't know why I thought that,
but I think what's much cooler than having lots of
small text is actually being able to read and
understand the text on the screen.Now I have no
desire to impress anyone, and I keep my text in
the browser at like 200%.
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> > cheschire
Even on computer monitors, I always bump the
scaling to 125% on modern high resolution screens.
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> matwood
I don't have a Kindle, but I've been reading books
exclusively on my phone since I had a 3gs IIRC. I've
increased the text size over the years and love having
the 2-3 books I'm typically reading at once readily
available.
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> walt_grata
I swap between kindle and audible daily. The syncing
is generally good, byt i have had issues with some
books.This alone has caused my reading to skyrocket. I
swear i do 1-2 books a week this way
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> lofaszvanitt
An you bought one for her.
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> damontal
What's annoying is when you want to look back at
something earlier in the book. Then you have to use
the clunky search and hope you don't lose your current
place.
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> > tombert
KOReader has bookmark support; if I need to go
back a few pages (or use the search), I'll just
set a bookmark for my current place so I can
easily jump back.
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kingstnap
The headline makes it seem more monetary than it actually
is.https://www.read.gov.sg/join-the-readsg-challengeIt
seems like turning points into money is just a happens to
exist sort of mechanic. Enough to write a headline that
they are technically "paying you". The real mechanics are
much more typical gamification. Like earning xp, streaks,
leaderboards, limited edition goodies at events, prize
draws, collective goals.The strict money payout is S$0.02
per 15 minutes at most once a day. Obviously if you were
doing this it would be more for the rest of the dopamine
then hoping to buy a candy bar after like 50 days.
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> juiceland
Systems like this are not new. When I was in
elementary school in the US Midwest, we had a program
called accelerated reader, (AR), where you could take
tests about books and get points. The longer the book,
the more the points. You could redeem the points for
candy.Anyway I was banned from AR in the 5th grade
because I learned you could sort the book list by
points awarded, so I wrote down the list of most
valuable books and checked them out from the library.
I convinced a 2 friends to help, one would take the
test and write down the questions and then someone
else would read the book to get the answers and share
them. We ended up racking up like way more points than
anyone else and the teachers called out and made us
explain.
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lend000
While books > articles > audiobooks > podcasts > listening
to music > TV > short-form content, it's all content
consumption in the end, and while that's fine, I think
it's a little overhyped.I prefer to draw the distinction
at creating vs doing vs consuming, and focus on balancing
the time spent consuming (which is a natural part of
enjoying life, but usually people consume way too much)
unless it's in the service of one of the other two
categories (e.g. consuming articles to learn/inspire the
creation of something better or plan a trip to do
something, etc.)
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itake
Singapore libraries are really annoying for foreigners
because they don't let you use the WiFi.Thailand at least
gives you a 1 hour pass.Not that anyone asked but my
ranking of public libraries in Asia1/ Taiwan2/ HK3/
Thailand4/ Laos (private libraries are cute, but hot...)4/
Vietnam (Bring your passport!)5/ SingaporeI haven't been
to a library in Japan or S Korea. I tried working from a
community center in Japan but I couldn't figure how it
works.
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> Onavo
It's not limited to their libraries. All of their
public facilities are like this. Even their public
swimming pools (not allowed to use them if you are a
visitor, their digital ticketing system requires the
local equivalent of a SSN). The official excuse is
that it's tax payer subsidized.It's very much a
classist country where you position in society is
determined by your immigration status. Everything
there is tiered based on whether you are a "citizen"
(first class), permanent resident (second class), and
you are in a permanent out group if you are not in the
above two classes. And if you are a foreigner, whether
you are a white "expat" or a Dubai -style indenture
servant migrant worker. Valley tech bros are obsessed
with that country but all that glitters is not gold.
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> > ValentineC
> Even their public swimming pools (not allowed to
use them if you are a visitor, their digital
ticketing system requires the local equivalent of
a SSN). The official excuse is that it's tax payer
subsidized.There's a FAQ specifically addressing
this [1]:> If you do not have Singpass, you may
still approach our pool or gym staff to buy
single-entry passes.[1]
https://ask.gov.sg/activesg/questions/clztixkjr00a
gracq0ys53...
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yipinwong
For me it's not the phone that's stopping me from reading
books but my computer, on which I play games, and browse,
and do private stuff.Where I live, electricity price is so
ridiculous, I leave my PC off for 3 to 5 hours a day.You
get bored after 5 minutes. This is the best time to open
your book and read.----Same idea applies for the phone.
Just leave it off.
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> wbobeirne
It's difficult to turn your phone off if you have a
spouse or children or other dependents who you can't
drop communication with for hours at a time. But it's
helpful to strip it down to the essentials so it
doesn't double as an entertainment device.
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> > downut
It is in actual fact not difficult to "drop
communication with for hours at a time". This was
the human norm for millenia, up to a decade or so
ago. And given the toxic side effects of all this
communication it's probably going to have to be
worked out again.We raised a child with the
principle that "No News is Good News". She turned
out great! And she lives that way still. That
constant level of screen stimulation is strictly
not necessary for family happiness, and I think
you all who think so have not really internalized
what it means for a child to learn
responsibility.See also free-range kids, and the
social insanity that causes kids/parents to get
arrested for eg playing in a park alone. There's a
bunch of mental illness out there, and the screens
are big reason why.Oh right. My beautiful daughter
reads books constantly. Weird that, huh.
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> > devin
To be sure, you absolutely can do this. I did it
all the time as a kid. Nothing bad happened from
being out of constant communication for hours.
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> > yipinwong
You are focusing on things that never happened or
never will happen.Phone is not the only
communication you need for your kids or spouse.
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> > kibwen
The need to be instantly reachable at a moment's
notice is a modern anxiety that we successfully
lived without until the mass penetration of cell
phones 20 years ago. Your spouse and children will
manage without being able to text you for a few
hours, just like spouses and children did for the
first 100,000 years of humans history.
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> > > andrepd
That's ridiculous. We have managed without
electricity or antibiotics for 100,000 years
too. Are you keen on reading by candlelight or
dying of preventable infections?Instant
messaging and calling is extremely valuable.
Algorithmic social media is extremely noxious.
Unfortunately, they both live on the same
device.
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> > > > kibwen
Comparing smartphones to antibiotics is
somewhat ironic given that smartphone
addiction is a disease, not a cure to one.
There is no law of the universe that says
that technology cannot create ills where
previously there were none. I assure you
that you are allowed to turn your phone
off for hours, days, weeks, forever if you
so choose, and your life may be better for
it.
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andsoitis
Reading is fundamental.
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> aduwah
You being downvoted is just sad
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> > xethos
Stating a truth is not adding to the conversation
though. A little sad, sure, but grandparent's
comment is barely even a building block to kick
off a wider conversation, let alone thoughtful or
additive on its own.Maybe it doesn't deserve to be
on the bottom, dead, but something this basic
certainly doesn't deserve to be showered in
upvotes
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> > andsoitis
The library is open.
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DANmode
Yes, but without Pizza Hut involved, do they even stand a
chance?
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analog8374
They should be paying them to meditate. That would be the
more healthful and revolutionary course.Regular daily
intellectual concentration is much the same be it game,
book or reddit. And it makes you crazy. You withdraw from
reality.
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