Over time I have filled my life with countless computers, and portable devices just from the nature of what I do. I am a technology worker and I do read a lot of things on screen, or more appropriately I should say screens. Also due to the nature of what I do I have to read quickly and react quickly. Add that with all the messaging options so that people can get a hold of me I am bombarded with emails and other messaging types, there are a lot of things I need to keep track of. Additionally, when people message me, they often expect a reply right away. All of this leads me to a problem I see in others only after identifying it in myself. Reading comprehension in today’s society sucks.

I will admit it that I have responded to emails without completely reading the thread, or glossing over details. This can lead to embarrassment when someone calls you out on asking a question that was already answered in the previous emails.  Not only that there are times when I look at an article online and gloss over it taking in only some of the details and not others. This is not good and does not help when I am working with other people. The problem with myself, I believe, is that I am programmer. I have trained myself to look for patterns in code, or try and follow along with the flow of the logic behind it. Does programming contribute to the e.A.D.D.? Or is it that I just need to slow down a bit to process things.

So what can be done?

There are multiple site online that talk about how to improve your reading comprehension. Some of which refer to kindergarten, however I don’t think I need to go back that far. Some however are useful and here are a few tips that I found here.

• Location - Find a place to read that isn’t too busy or distracting.
• Sound - Much like location, noise can be a huge distraction too
• Read Something That Interests You - Read something that is interesting to you.
• Put away other devices - Of course phones notifying you of messages and iPods with music can take your focus from what you are reading.
• State of mind - Keep a relaxed mind and focus on what you are reading rather than the events that happen during your day.

If you haven’t guessed it yet this is all part of my New Years Resolution(s). Hopefully, a couple of changes and taking a little time for myself will help with my own problem. In the year to come, I plan to take small breaks from the electronic world and disconnect, and I also plan on more creative reading in 2011. (See this post here)

Do you experience e.A.D.D.? or do others you know experience this as well?
Also, what have you done to reset yourself?

With information coming at you from all directions how do you keep up with the news that is interesting to you? Do you use RSS feeds, social networks, Google Alerts, or do you visit a bunch of sites by hand. There are so many ways it’s almost over whelming and if you don’t do it right it can be just that.

I  recently asked this question on Google+ to see if people were doing it different from me. I mean to say..if RSS is dead (not true) like some have said I wanted to know what everyone else was doing then. Of course it looks like most everyone is much like me, I use RSS feeds for sites that I want to make sure I read regularly, Social Networks for more immediate, timely, or “Breaking News” information that can come and go, and some Google Alerts for things like searches of my day job company and of course myself.

I am going to assume that you know what RSS, Google Reader, etc. is. No need to reinvent the wheel here.

My primary use for Google Reader is to share out stories that I think are interesting enough to use in my Podcast Technorama. Chuck Tomasi (my co-host) will look at the things I have shared (see here) and will look at things he has shared (see here) also and grab items to put together our shownotes. I have a list of about 159 sites that I currently read (its been as high as 200+). Some I read infrequently and others I take notice when they post things. I found most of these sites by seeing what others were reading, and just finding them on my own. Google Reader can help you with both.

Google Reader has a section at the top left with information about your stuff. One of the options is Browse for Stuff, this is where the rubber meets the road and you will get ton of feeds to read. Here you will find bundles to get you started such as News, Sports, Staff Picks as well as bundles from your friends if you are also following people with Reader. Above the bundles, you can search for feeds and look at recommendations. Recommnedations are “new feeds are generated by comparing your interests with the feeds of users similar to you.” (quote from Google). There should be plenty here to get you going.

Also note the People you follow section. Once you start sharing items and you have a share items page (see my link above) others with Google Reader accounts can follow you. This gives Reader a little bit of a social network feel. If you start following people you will see when they share and like items in the articles themselves. This section, once you follow some, will also let you only see items that others have shared so if you follow people that are similar to you there is a good chance you will see topics that you are interested in. You can also filter out and see items that they commented on and not just reshared!

As you end up with a lot of articles popping up in your reader, you will find that you just don’t have enough time to read them all, and that is ok (remember to breathe!). I regularly Mark All as Read when there are a ton if items especially after I have been on vacation or not been on reader for a few days. Remember, if something is important and happening and you miss it the first time around, it will come around again. So don’t try and kill yourself thinking “What did I miss!”

Did you know that you can update your company information that Google displays?

For example where I work the information that Google displays was for an employee specifically and his direct line. Not the proper company address and phone number, least I say that this is not ideal. I imagine that Google culls that information from several sources and pieces it all together and each employee’s number is posted on the website under their bio. So I am sure that this is were Google is getting it.

There is a way to fix this! Do a search for your business and you should see the information at the top with perhaps a Google map thumbnail along with other search results below. Under your address you will see “More Information”.

If you click on the “More Information” link, and at the bottom (Very Bottom) of that next page, there is an “Edit This Listing” link. Click it and Google walks you through asking for Address information Phone, etc…Business Type and picture with a wizard type setup. They then provide you with a 4 digit pin number, and wanted to initiate a call to the main number you listed to confirm the details you submitted. Hint * I had to give reception the pin so they could confirm it.

Google said that it could take up to 4 weeks to update it.

So there you go, it wasn’t as difficult as I imagined to update incorrect business information in Google’s database.

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