Re-Organizing the World’s Information: Why we need more Boutique Curators

Kazuki

Hatched by Kazuki

Sep 12, 2023

4 min read

0

Re-Organizing the World’s Information: Why we need more Boutique Curators

In today's digital age, information is abundant. With the vast amount of content available, it has become increasingly important to draw connections between disparate pieces of information. However, the current state of information platforms is overwhelming for consumers. Irrelevant filters, ad-based business models, and an unconstrained supply of information have made it difficult to find valuable insights.

While the protection of privacy may not be a compelling reason for most individuals to leave popular platforms like Google, there is a growing need for curated and trustworthy information. The original intention behind organizing the world's information has shifted towards prioritizing monetization and ad revenue, rather than focusing on the search experience for users. As a result, these platforms often make ethically dubious design choices that erode trust.

Vertical search aggregators can be useful when you know exactly what you want. However, the starting point for most individuals is not always clear, creating an opportunity for better discovery and curation along the funnel. The conversation around curation has been primarily focused on the content itself, rather than the structure. To address this, curated content feeds should move away from their never-ending-now orientation and towards more goal-oriented interfaces. People should be able to find content on their own terms, rather than being limited by when curators decide to publish.

Curation sites often fall into a trap as they grow. They start with high-quality curated recommendations, but as they scale, they rely more on crowdsourcing and scraping, resulting in a decline in content quality. Vertical search aggregators like Yelp then become more useful. The ad-driven model used by many platforms leads to competition between advertisers and content producers, often giving the platforms a marketing blog-like feel.

Subscription models are not a panacea, especially when the use cases are infrequent. However, nascent token-based business models that give ownership to stakeholders and allow subscribers to benefit from future upside show promise in overcoming the cold start problem.

The Way In Which We Take Notes Gives Us Insight Into Who We Are

Taking notes is a personal activity that reflects our individual personalities. The way we prioritize and annotate information reveals what we find important and interesting. Social web highlighting tools, like the Social Web Highlighting Glass, allow curators to highlight and annotate text from various online sources. These tools provide a wealth of resources and ideas for creative writers and individuals seeking inspiration.

In a study setting, where attention is focused on a lecturer or speaker, it is common to follow a more collective approach to note-taking. However, taking notes in a more individualized manner can provide deeper meaning and personalization. Each individual's unique perspective and creativity can enhance the quality of their notes and make the learning experience more meaningful. By incorporating your uniqueness into your note-taking process, you can align your notes with your learning style and improve knowledge retention.

Ultimately, the way we take notes reflects who we are as individuals. It is a representation of our thought process, interests, and creative mind. Embracing your uniqueness when taking notes not only makes the process more enjoyable but also aids in knowledge recall in the future.

Actionable Advice:

  • 1. Seek out boutique curators: Look for smaller, more specialized platforms or curators that prioritize quality over quantity. These sources are more likely to provide trustworthy and curated content.
  • 2. Explore token-based business models: Keep an eye on emerging token-based models that offer ownership to stakeholders. These models have the potential to incentivize high-quality content creation and overcome the challenges of traditional ad-driven platforms.
  • 3. Embrace your uniqueness in note-taking: Take a more individualized approach to note-taking that aligns with your learning style and interests. Incorporate your creativity and unique perspective to enhance the quality and personalization of your notes.

In conclusion, the overwhelming amount of information available today calls for a shift towards boutique curators who prioritize trustworthy content. The current ad-driven models have led to ethically dubious design choices and a decline in content quality. By embracing our uniqueness in both content curation and note-taking, we can create a more meaningful and personalized learning experience.

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