Now that I have written about my recent e-reader adventures, I would like to expand on a specific topic that wasn't included in the previous article. I namedropped Inoreader and talked a little bit about Readwise Reader without evaluating what such tools can be useful for because the angle was about long books, big PDFs, and e-book stuff. Let's now take the time to set up a minimal context and explain what exists behind the read-later umbrella and why the audio transcript feature provided by Readwise Reader has been a game changer for me. ## What purpose do I find in read-later solutions? https://www.inoreader.com/ and https://readwise.io/read are powerful read-later tools. The basic principle is that you have an inbox from which you will organize, read, and annotate web content. You could approach such apps through 5 axes: - Bookmarking (the ability to share things to the app and save things for later, mainly links, articles, videos, podcasts in the case of the following graph) - Aggregate & scrape (the ability to automatically follow flux or updates and use the app as a "universal" inbox) - Read (the ability to read/play web content directly in it and overall reading experience) - Annotate (the ability to take notes and highlight on documents and have them usable later) - Organize (the ability to filter, categorize, apply rules and stuff) So the clarity where Inoreader sits alongside some other “read-later” services. More direct alternatives exist, like Feedly, but I have never tried it. Here it is more about two power user apps versus conventional popular bookmarking apps (that's why I chose Pocket even if it is now dead). ![[../_site-assets/Advocacy for annotatable video transcripts in read-later apps/image.png]] Obviously, the more gritty details are not exposed with such a small set of generic all-around axes. The podcast is really limited (you do have any player) inside Reader; PDF and EPUB on Inoreader are not a great fit, etc. The reality is more complex; not all things are mutually exclusive. But I think the idea I have tried to convey is made clear. Inoreader and Reader are more powerful tools to consume web content in a really organized and deliberate way. Inoreader is really good as an inbox. Reader is really good at being the place where you read and take notes. And Raindrop is one of the best bookmarking apps for the money! > [!note] > - Some of my notes on the subject if I plan to use Inoreader; I still recommend it. > > > [!note] > > The core functionality of an RSS reader is available here for free. While there are many paid modules, and the starting price isn't the lowest in its category, the subscription offers such great features that €95 a year doesn't feel excessive. The subscription isn't mandatory for casual users, but for power users, Inoreader feels like a really complete tools. > > I use Inoreader to organize my "watch" (I haven't really put my finger on how you are supposed to adequately translate "veille" into English). Inoreader is a centralized platform for consulting news, following newsletters, and managing YouTube and podcast subscriptions, and even more in one unified interface. You can save content for later, annotate, tag what you want to keep, and use complex filters to filter out the noise before it even hits the inbox or has been automatically tagged. > > The goal of such a tool in our modern age is to restore intentionality rather than have our biases exploited by algorithms. While recommendation algorithms have their merits, they need to be balanced with methods that give us control and allow us to be proactive in how we “consume content.” > > I'm in no way an authority on how you should use Inoreader and what the tool is truly capable of for more advanced users. Given your workflow, you could arrive at a really different setup than mine. That said, here are things I have found work well for me and feel a good starting point: > > - Getting Started with Inoreader (Recommended Settings) > - You can choose between multiple view layouts for your feeds (and cycle through them quickly using the 1, 2, 3, 4 keys). I particularly appreciate the column view, which displays a list on one side and content alongside it (I've set this as the default view in settings). > - The column view works really well with this second tip: go to profile settings, find the "Article Listing" tab, and enable "Scroll tracking (Mark items as read when you scroll past them)." This handy feature automatically marks articles as read when you scroll past them, making it easy to clear your inbox. > - Now, go into the "Dates" tab and set it to "Use published dates"—I have no idea why this isn't the default setting. > - Finally, return to the first tab "General" and opt out of the "Open links in browser tab" option so you won't be constantly reminded that you have something URGENT to read. Stay cool. > - One last thing, I suggest exploring the settings to understand what each option does, so you can find a setup that fits your needs. Always play around with your app's settings—you might be surprised by what you discover. > - ADVANCED TIPS: You can edit the share option order as they appear in the article view, and you can connect Raindrop so it's available as a share option (nice). > - Install Inoreader web extension > > *Chromium-base* https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/inoreader-read-later-and/kfimphpokifbjgmjflanmfeppcjimgah > > *Gecko-based* https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/rss-reader-extension-inoreader/ > > The Inoreader web extension is handy for saving articles to read later within your Inoreader space. It also helps you search for RSS feeds on websites you're currently visiting. I recommend using it to build the habit of using Inoreader as your central content hub and preservation system. > > - Use the share option on your phone to send articles to Inoreader > > If the Inoreader app is installed on your phone, you'll have Inoreader as an option in the share menu. This works similarly to the browser extension. > > The Inoreader mobile app has some limitations compared to the web app (which you can still use on mobile), but it offers neat touch interactions. It's certainly better than mindlessly scrolling through your Instagram account. ## Video transcript with annotations is big deal It has been a little more than a month since I started using Reader, gradually trying to grasp what the better way to use it is if I want to switch from Inoreader. You cannot have it all, like always. I like the way it handles YouTube videos, so I want to share my thoughts on it. Having a quality transcript that I can read is also something Inoreader provides, but the intention seems to differ. In Reader, the transcript follows the video; the two are synchronized and don't exist in isolation. It's the default way a video is presented to you. But the best part is that you can annotate the transcript the same way you could annotate an article, and all annotations are tied to timestamps. Even if Inoreader has the superior set of features, it doesn't make it the best option in the end. It's more about summarizing the content so you can navigate quickly to the relevant parts or dismiss "content." All it helps me do is decide whether to dismiss the video or not, not augment the watching experience so I can retain more if the subject interests me. The only thing you could annotate in Inoreader is the made-up article based on the transcript, so not what the actual person says, an AI summarizes. It's time-efficient, but what if I want to watch the content and focus on it? The functions are here, but the quality-over-quantity approach is enforced. ![[../_site-assets/Advocacy for annotatable video transcripts in read-later apps/fbe2d072-8159-4e31-a13e-16f70bfeef69.png]] *Reader* ![[../_site-assets/Advocacy for annotatable video transcripts in read-later apps/0d7b3506-38df-443e-9397-f9096c4ac038.png]] *Inoreader* I find it very desirable to watch a conference this way, with a more proactive approach and a seamless note-taking experience. In my case, being able to reference the text from what the person is saying is infinitely better than any subtitle in this context. Having my notes live alongside the video allows me to come back to them later or have access to every annotation through the Readwise integration. It convinces me to use it, in my opinion. I look forward to any improvements that can make it better, like screenshotting a frame, adding its own chapter, or adding a non-YouTube video. Even in its current state, I have a great time every time I watch something; with a pencil on a tactile screen, it is really an enjoyable way to watch something.