I like to talk about filters. But what are they?
I see a filter as a process that separates interesting, informative and reliable content from everything else that bombards us daily.
Let me show you an example.
I have Google Reader organized by folders. The folder I label “Inspiring Commerce” has more than 70 sources of news and information about small business, freelancing and entrepreneurship. That’s a lot of content that you don’t have time to check.
I scan that content, pick out the best and link to it in my Twitter feed. That is a filter you can use to learn about business without sifting through all my sources.
Granted it’s not a great filter. But it’s a free filter. If you’re looking for a better filter, first consider what is creating the problem.
Without the filter, here’s where you could be looking for information you need to keep current in your industry:
- Newspapers & broadcast news
- Books
- Magazines
- Blogs
- Podcasts
If you try to keep current with too many sources, you will find:
- There are too many sources of information
- New sources are created every day
- It’s hard to identify the trusted sources
- There isn’t enough time to sift through all the sources
Here’s how a good filter can help you:
- Sifts through the content and finds what you need
- Looks for new sources and tests their trustworthiness
- Delivers new information through the medium you prefer
- Keeps the filtered content concise
- Streamlines your research and learning curves
Sure, you can cut back on the content you consume. But what are you missing? There has to be a better way to stay informed and have time to put the information to use.
Like I said. A filter is an efficient way to stay informed.
