diff --git a/content/posts/pull-vs-push-intentional-notifications.md b/content/posts/pull-vs-push-intentional-notifications.md index 46fd700..1bde920 100644 --- a/content/posts/pull-vs-push-intentional-notifications.md +++ b/content/posts/pull-vs-push-intentional-notifications.md @@ -1,11 +1,47 @@ --- title: "Pull vs push: intentional notifications" -date: 2023-03-16T17:20:32-04:00 +date: 2023-03-20T12:15:00-04:00 draft: true toc: true +categories: ["Technology"] +tags: + - Health + - Internet + - Mindfulness + - Productivity + - Web --- -Some kind of intro here +I've recently noticed that many of my peers are sometimes overwhelmed by the +internet; they feel as if they're stretched too thin and that their attention is +constantly shifting between too many different platforms. I think a _portion_ of +that feeling comes from systems that bombard them with push notifications. In +games, this introduces a sense of urgency because you want make the most of your +time and use your "lives" or "energy" or whatever efficiently. With social +media, these reminders tend to incite a fear of missing out (FOMO), making you +feel like you need to open the app to connect with friends and avoid missing +out. With news apps, the notifications are usually click-bait headlines +specifically selected to make you open the app so you can see what's going on. + +But most of that isn't _really_ necessary. If something on social media is +genuinely that urgent, it should be a call or an instant message. Social media +can be checked at the end of the day. The same goes for news; if a headline is +really that important, it'll still be there in a couple hours. If a game needs +to remind its players that it exists, it's probably not particularly fun or +memorable. + +On Android, when users first open an app, they're often asked to give that app +permission to send notifications. They hit `Allow` without thinking because they +just want to use the app, exactly like what happens when asked to agree to a +privacy policy and terms of service. Most of these apps would be able to fill +their purpose just as well _without_ sending notifications, but we're more +concerned with _using_ the app so we just don't think about it. + +On their phones, my peers usually have a list of notifications a mile long, full +of new emails and YouTube videos and Slack messages and "your lives are +restored!" messages from mobile games and so much more. I think reducing that +barrage — on all systems, not just phones — is a great way to start building a +healthier relationship with technology. ## Pushed-based @@ -52,7 +88,13 @@ boundaries and being thoughtful with your time is important. ## Pull-based - +With a push-based system, you receive notifications on others' schedules, which +might not line up well with your own. In a pull-based system, you receive +"notifications" on _your_ schedule. You see what happened on social media when +you log in, you receive emails when you explicitly fetch them, you see chat +messages when you open the app, etc. This allows you to decide when you're ready +to interact with that system, whether "ready" is every ten minutes, once you're +in the office, or during breakfast. ## Some suggestions @@ -64,32 +106,35 @@ Disable push notifications for YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, etc. Maybe consider using alternative clients for those services that are more user-respecting in general. -Religiously unsubscribe from everything that clutters up your inbox. If you -don't actively want to see it, unsubscribe from it or write a rule that marks it -as reads and immediately shoves it in your archive. Inboxes are for pertinent, +Religiously unsubscribe from everything that clutters your inbox. If you don't +actively want to see it, unsubscribe from it or write a rule that marks it as +reads and immediately shoves it in your archive. Inboxes are for pertinent, important information; the latest shoe sale at your preferred big-box store is neither. -Get an [RSS reader!][rssr] Please! +Get a [feed reader!][rssr] Please! [rssr]: https://wikipedia.org/wiki/News_aggregator They allow you to subscribe to multiple sources of information — like news websites, YouTube channels, blogs, etc. — and aggregate that content into one place. You can read what you want when you want without having anything thrust -in your face by The Algorithm™. Depending on the reader, you can sort sources -into categories or folders that allow you to focus on one thing at a time rather -than being treated to a firehose of the internet. +in your face. Depending on which feed reader you select, you can also sort +sources into categories or folders that allow you to focus on one thing at a +time, rather than being treated to a firehose of the internet. If you're looking for a service, check out [Feedbin,][fb] [NewsBlur,][nb] -[Feeder,][feeder] [Feedly,][fdly] and [Inoreader.][ino] Be thoughtful about -enabling notifications though. +[Feeder,][feeder] [Feedly,][fdly] and [Inoreader.][ino] Changelog, a +developer-focused podcast, [interviewed the creator of Feedbin][cif] and I quite +enjoyed the episode. Be thoughtful when enabling push notifications in readers +that support it. [fb]: https://feedbin.com [nb]: https://newsblur.com [feeder]: https://feeder.co [fdly]: https://feedly.com [ino]: https://www.inoreader.com +[cif]: https://changelog.com/podcast/240 If you're into self-hosting, I highly recommend [yarr.][yarr] At the time of writing, I've been using yarr for 6 months and don't see myself switching any @@ -100,11 +145,12 @@ theme.][yarr-theme] [yarr]: https://github.com/nkanaev/yarr/ [yarr-theme]: https://github.com/nkanaev/yarr/issues/46#issuecomment-798896310 -If you do adopt RSS, I strongly recommend migrating your _important_ newsletter -subscriptions to [_Kill the Newsletter!_][ktn] It generates an email, you -subscribe to the newsletter with that email address, and it appends each email -to a unique RSS feed generated just for you. At the time of writing, I receive 7 -newsletters as RSS feeds and it's a pleasant experience. +If you do adopt a feed reader, whichever it is, I strongly recommend migrating +your _important_ newsletter subscriptions to [_Kill the Newsletter!_][ktn] The +service generates an email address, you subscribe to the newsletter with that +email address, and it appends each email to a unique feed generated just for +you. At the time of writing, I receive 7 newsletters as feeds and it's a +wonderful experience. [ktn]: https://kill-the-newsletter.com