Curation is the Next Search Engine
We go to search engines like Google to find answers. The more succinct and useful, the better. But that’s not always what you find, is it?
We go to search engines like Google to find answers. The more succinct and useful, the better. But that’s not always what you find, is it?
Google itself asks us if the results we get can answer our questions at a glance. If not, users will have to refine their search. And even then, they may have trouble finding what matters to them.
Until huge search engine platforms like Google are able to finely curate content, we may have to go back to our roots: hand-picked content, or even better, human content curation. For some, relying on human content curation would seem retrograde when, in reality, it’s still the best option available to us.
Don’t believe it? Which of the following options make more sense: grabbing the knowledge directly from the author of a book, or reading about the said book on the web?
The second option is great for filling in the gaps, but there’s nothing more prestigious than reaching for original sources.
The Problem with Twitter and Algorithm-Generated Content Curation
When failing to get answers from Google, a lot of users resort to social platforms like Twitter. There, they’re graced with a shorter space, a shorter word count, and maybe even a shorter time looking for what they need.
Well, the last part isn’t true. By nature, Twitter’s a pretty random social platform. While it does a great job of curating content in some instances, we’re often hampered by empty thoughts and constant ads.
The tweets from people you follow will get in the way because that’s what the algorithm favors. You may look for something specific in the search bar or take it up a notch with Twitter’s advanced search. That may streamline the job, but the noise will eventually barge in. That’s not good for those of us who are quick to lose focus.
It’s like filtering your coffee and still ending up with debris in your cup. Productivity isn’t only about focusing on the task at hand -- it’s about focusing on the right things. That’s hard to do when you’re scrolling through hundreds of tweets or trying to highlight the most important passages in a 2000-word article.
Will the definitions of “the right things” vary from person to person? Absolutely. That’s why human curation is so important. When reading someone else’s highlights and notes while coming up with your conclusions about them, you develop new insights for yourself and other people.
That’s how we get smarter every day, and that’s how we’ve done it since the beginning of time. Learning is about incessantly questioning and, sometimes, even coming up with your own answers until someone else proves you wrong.
Want to Find All the Best Answers? Rely on Human Content Curation
Ideally, we’d only study the content coming from people we trust and respect. Where can we find that content, and where can we find those people?
A social web highlighter or content curation platform is the closest we’ll ever get to interact with people whose opinions we value. The only thing that would get even closer would be meeting with them over a coffee, but that’s not always possible.
If people used content curation platforms like they use Facebook and Instagram, they’d spend a lot less time fishing for important clippings and more time indexing them. Instead of scanning, they'd read more, and eventually learn more.
Imagine not worrying about having to deal with aimless, sleep-inducing paragraphs and getting to work faster. That’s the power of true content curation, which is all about ditching the useless stuff.
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We’re building Glasp to give everyone the power to leave their learnings and experiences throughout their life as a utilitarian legacy for future generations. Glasp beautifully organizes what you resonated with on the web, so you can express yourself through the collection and connect the dots. If this resonates with you, please check it out!
Cheers,
Kazuki