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  1. You must read the article before you can comment on it.
    • pandemia3 years ago

      Back to SM? I think it’s a mistake. You don’t really need them and you believe you are connected and not lonely but a face to face conversation is much much more than a like on a profile. Read Digital minimalist by Cal Newport

      • bill
        Top reader of all time
        3 years agoWriter

        Read it twice. 😉

        • pandemia3 years ago

          so, what's wrong with you Bill? :-D

          • bill
            Top reader of all time
            3 years agoWriter

            You were right. It was a mistake.

    • bartadamley3 years ago

      Good for you man!

      I have been phasing out all forms of social media one site at a time the past 2-3 years and have ended up back where I began.

      Initially deleted Twitter, then Facebook, then Instagram and then Snapchat.

      All throughout this time I was shamefully using Facebook still not on the app, but on my Safari app... but at the start of Quarantine I deactivated my Facebook for good and have been incredibly pleased with this.

      It is interesting though... the more time I’ve spent away from social media, the more I’ve had a chance to re-evaluate the way in which I had used it. It feels great to educate ourselves on just how critical of a role social media plays... the vast potential it has in channeling your message is wonderful.

      It just seems as though, if you don’t take the time to reflect on your goals with social media... one will never use it to its full utility. And that’s what taking a step back from social media has allowed for me and I hope it allows that for you too!

      I’m back on Twitter however and reactivated my old profile, and realized that I want to be more “public” with my music and my intellectual interests. So cheers to new beginnings!

      • bill
        Top reader of all time
        3 years agoWriter

        So cheers to new beginnings!

        🥳

        AWESOME comment. Thanks so much!!

      • jakeNYC3 years ago

        Thanks for sharing - I always find it interesting to hear from people who have deleted all forms of social media to see how they feel, as every once in a while, usually after some sort of fallout, I debate the same.

        I have deleted a few accounts now and again, but never all at the same time! Right now, in quarantine, I am on all platforms (my usual Twitter, IG, LinkedIn, Strava) and I find it to be ok, surprisingly.

    • Abarlet3 years ago

      I am exhausted reading about all your social media accounts. To be honest, I have never heard of some of those platforms. Maybe it's my age? (I'm not that old.) I completely understand that at some point it is therapeutic to pull the plug and stop the madness. Why go back? Seems to me like social media is an excellent forum for you to promote ReadUp. To me, that seems like a pretty good reason to start again.

      • bill
        Top reader of all time
        3 years agoWriter

        That’s just Day 1. It gets even more exhausting, lol. Here’s Day 2

        P.S. From now on, anything that I write personally won’t qualify for AOTD. I basically have too many readers on here 😎 BUT, if anybody else wants to share their own personal writing, it’s a great place to share because... well... huge audience of captive readers.

        • thorgalle
          Top reader this weekScoutScribe
          3 years ago

          That explains things! I stood perplexed at the point score of "I'm done with truth" a few days ago. It had only 10-point ratings, 15 reads and was ranked way below a shorter article that had just one read.

        • Abarlet3 years ago

          Wait. You have a flip phone?

          • bill
            Top reader of all time
            3 years agoWriter

            Oh yeah. Almost 5 years with this sucker! Absolutely love it.

    • loundytampa3 years ago

      So are you going back on as “Bill loundy” or “Readup” or a mix ? I need to know how your insta is gonna kick off , a bunch of links to articles to read or pictures of palm trees and the eerie emptiness of key west ?

      • bill
        Top reader of all time
        3 years agoWriter

        These are all very good questions. All of the above.

    • Florian3 years ago

      Sorry to hear about Y Combinator, Bill! Hang in there. It’s a game of patience.

      • bill
        Top reader of all time
        3 years agoWriter

        Thanks, Florian!

        So true re: patience.

    • joshw3 years ago

      so hard having uncleared notifications 😩 i used to have to clear them all, too! i totally jive with that feeling and had deleted all my socials at one point while i imploded. now that i have been quiet for so long, and had time to focus on what 95% of things i could say no to, i am now booting up the social spheres again but with much more intention and curation. linkedin is completely focused on the narrow eXtended Reality vertical that contains VR and AR. twitter is only for networking with VR creators (and your ReadUp integration). instagram is for...actually i have four instagram accounts i was testing to see which focus i wanted to put there and just recently decided to delete them all again and start over (only 395 followers so won’t be missed amongst the billions haha)! always room for improvement, hey? actually, i am getting tired of hearing myself write so i’ll finish this and hit publish because i’m past the time by which i wanted to be done commenting. we should talk more about this on twitter. good luck bill, i think you’re a good guy and am happy to be a part of your new social life.

      🙏🏼

      • thorgalle
        Top reader this weekScoutScribe
        3 years ago

        Some smart stuff there having multiple accounts! I imagine the switching must have been a hassle.

        i was testing to see which focus i wanted to put there

        Only for posting different, or also for following? Were you curating 4 different input feeds this way?

        actually, i am getting tired of hearing myself write so i’ll finish this and hit publish because i’m past the time by which i wanted to be done commenting.

        Super relatable, except that sometimes I don't dare to hit publish at those times. This reminded me to read something Bill wrote about this for the Readup blog 10 months ago. It's super relevant.

        • joshw3 years ago

          i don’t really use instagram for reading the feed, so i was just curating different outgoing feeds.

    • deephdave
      Top reader this weekTop reader of all timeScoutScribe
      3 years ago

      This is going to be rocky and painful. It already is. I hate social media. With a passion. I loved my life without it. But sometimes we need to do things we don’t like in order to accomplish what we need to accomplish. And, in those cases, it’s good to do it out loud.

      • Plum3 years ago

        Bon voyage!

        1. Update (4/22/2020):

          As I read this I thought about the biggest difference between Readup and the social media sites you mention that we have battled and postured on.They often become hostile territory where it is necessary to have your guard up, your opinions defended, your successful avatar on duty. Readup is a library, a sunny coffee shop with friends where you can open up, think, share what delights and wounds you and know you will be heard and even supported. Long live Readup!

        • Pegeen
          Top reader this weekReading streakScoutScribe
          3 years ago

          What a great analogy! I agree 100%! I have no desire to go elsewhere on social media. This platform is intelligent, caring, supportive and interesting. Long live Readup, indeed!

          • bill
            Top reader of all time
            3 years agoWriter

            Yup! The deeper that I dive into other platforms, the more I love Readup and am determined to grow it.

            I feel like I’m hiding in a Trojan horse so that I can pass through the city walls of the other platforms and when I’m inside, I’ll spread the good word about Readup. But I can’t keep banging on the walls from the outside. Especially with the lockdown, I can’t even spread Readup to strangers I meet in person. That’s what I did for most of 2019. Rambled around to bookstores and libraries. Now I need a digital presence.

            I’m ready breaking though. Overall, I (mostly) feel great about everything. Very high energy, which is better than just feeling cooped-up and blahhh

            • Pegeen
              Top reader this weekReading streakScoutScribe
              3 years ago

              It will be interesting to see if you can return to social media in a new, more conscious and restrained way. To use it responsibly without getting roped into the nonsense. But I would think you’d have to be super strong and focused not to fall prey. Wishing you the best of luck and I pray this Hail Mary works for Readup. This platform is NEEDED.

              • bill
                Top reader of all time
                3 years agoWriter

                Wow. Yes. It will be a whole lot more than just “interesting” to me, because there’s so much on the line! But your comment really summarizes the overall challenge, and what’s at stake.

                Strength and focus. That’s exactly it! This time, I’m using the platforms. I’m not letting the platforms use me: Here’s the latest

    • sjwoo3 years ago

      I hate those little red dots. I can’t resist clearing them. (And, frankly, I find it utterly impossible to relate to people who don’t mind having little red dots all over the place.)

      You and me both, brother, you and me both. I guess the right response is to say...welcome back. Though I don't know, now I feel like I should take your place or something.

    • jamie3 years ago

      👍 Welcome Back....

    • thorgalle
      Top reader this weekScoutScribe
      3 years ago

      Pretty cool what you can free-write in 30 min, no, 1h!

      When I got back to my apartment, I deleted my Twitter account.

      That was perfect with the paragraphs leading on to it 😂

      WHY: I want to remember how this feels. And I think that some others might be interested in this journey — especially if I keep it honest and interesting.

      YES. Especially interested in the habits you will develop (or not). These little red badges tend to get into your mind when used regularly. You crave them.

      Plus, last night, I got a rejection email from Y Combinator.

      Damn. Onwards. This will work out.

    • Alexa3 years ago

      You've got this! I don't envy you but I admire your tenacity in getting back in the trenches to make Readup a hit. You're going to kick ass with your write streak too. Onwards!!

      I hate those little red dots. I can’t resist clearing them. Also, omg me too. I CANT resist them. I've talked to Gen X'ers who can just ignore them and it makes me cold sweat. wtf. Can't ignore those ripe digital berries...