Designing a Better Reading Experience with Matter and Glasp

Designing a Better Reading Experience with Matter and Glasp

In today's digital age, reading online has become a multi-faceted experience. It involves not only deciding what to read but also the act of reading and what you do with the knowledge after you've read it. Many of us have turned to read-it-later apps like Pocket to help us curate and organize our reading materials. However, the first generation of these apps lacked the intelligence to assist with prioritization, resurfacing, or decay.

The founders of Matter, a read-it-later app, were avid Pocket users themselves. They recognized the need for a more sophisticated tool that could address these shortcomings. Inspired by Jeff Bezos' emphasis on focusing on needs that won't change, they set out to create a platform that would enhance the reading experience and adapt to evolving user needs.

Trust plays a crucial role in deciding what to read, and people tend to trust other individuals more than algorithms. With this in mind, Matter elevated writers as first-class citizens within their system. They understood the value of good curation in discovering hidden gems that might be overlooked by engagement-based algorithms. By giving writers prominence, Matter aimed to provide users with a curated selection of high-quality content.

While staying informed about the latest news is important, the founders of Matter believed that the bias towards new information was too strong. They recognized that a significant portion of valuable content lies in older works. To counterbalance this bias, Matter was designed to prioritize quality over recency. By incorporating both new and timeless pieces, Matter sought to offer a more balanced and enriching reading experience.

Another aspect that Matter addressed was the challenge of reading newsletters effectively. Although newsletters have gained popularity, reading them in an email inbox isn't always ideal. Most people aim to quickly clear their inbox, leaving little time for deep reading. Furthermore, traditional email clients lack features like highlighting and annotating. Matter sought to bridge this gap by providing a better reading experience for newsletters, allowing users to engage with the content more effectively.

To enhance the user experience, Matter incorporated advanced techniques like Natural Language Processing (NLP) and computer vision. These techniques improved parsing accuracy, making it easier for users to interact with the content. Additionally, the rise of audio consumption prompted Matter to introduce "audio highlights." Users could now make highlights while listening to audio content, further enhancing their ability to engage with the material.

Incorporating ideas from video games and code editors, Matter introduced minimaps, allowing users to quickly navigate articles by scanning headers. This feature, inspired by the gaming and coding worlds, proved to be a valuable tool for active readers who sought to curate their information diets proactively.

While Matter focused on enhancing the reading experience, another tool called Glasp approached the problem from a different angle. Glasp is a social highlighting tool that enables users to discover smart articles recommended by internet strangers. The founder, Benjamin, had been a fan of Pocket but felt that its content discovery capabilities were lacking. In his search for alternatives, he stumbled upon Glasp and found it to be a game-changer.

What sets Glasp apart is its ability to showcase the learning materials of others. Users can explore and add articles to their reading list based on the recommendations and highlights of fellow users. This feature eliminates the need for endless scrolling or relying solely on search engines to find insightful content. Glasp opens up a world of knowledge curated by like-minded individuals, allowing users to discover authors they may have never encountered otherwise.

Combining the strengths of Matter and Glasp, users can create a truly personalized and enriched reading experience. By leveraging the curation capabilities of Matter and the social highlighting aspect of Glasp, readers can dive into a world of valuable content that caters to their interests and preferences. Whether it's through the prioritization of trusted writers or the discovery of smart articles recommended by internet strangers, these tools empower users to make the most of their reading time.

In conclusion, designing a better reading experience requires addressing the various aspects of the reading process – from content discovery to consumption and beyond. Matter and Glasp offer unique solutions to enhance this experience. Here are three actionable tips to improve your own reading habits:

1. Embrace the power of curation: Follow and trust writers whose work resonates with you. Seek out platforms and tools that prioritize curation and recommendation by trusted individuals.

2. Explore social highlighting: Utilize tools like Glasp to tap into the collective knowledge of internet strangers. Discover new authors and articles that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

3. Experiment with different formats: Audio consumption is on the rise, so consider incorporating audio content into your reading routine. Look for tools that allow for audio highlights, making it easier to engage with the material while on the go.

By incorporating these tips into your reading habits, you can optimize your time and gain more insight, knowledge, and excitement from your reading experience.