HACKER Q&A
📣 redisman

What do you read online that is not junk?


I'm really struggling with feeling like everything I read online is just junk trying to manipulate my feelings in some manner or doing the bare minimum to hit some dopamine threshold. Do you have sites that you read that aren't dumb and/or manipulative? I know there are at least some online magazines that are worthwhile but I don't really know that landscape.

  👤 brunooliv Accepted Answer ✓
Things are subjective but: HN as a "curated" content aggregator is great!

I love any piece by ArsTechnica, they have tech content as well as history and nature. The articles are usually very good!

Quanta Magazine is a great source as well!

I kind of like also The Guardian for more general news about the world

👤 he11ow
New Yorker and Brain Pickings. Quanta is great for math-y stuff.

Also, I try not to read too much online. Like you say, so much is junk.

And I limit news. There's a real negative cognitive and emotional impact from reading so much depressing stuff about which you can do so little.

👤 cpach
I subscribe to two online newspapers, lots of good articles there about current events, business, culture, politics.

I also like The Economist, but I prefer to read it on paper.

👤 fattybob
Hackers news not surprisingly, the Financial Times, and The Spectator magazine (surprisingly good read considering it’s supposed political leanings), I also have a preserved google reader list hooked up to Feedly, that feeds occasional gems, many to be found on Hackers News!
👤 readonthegoapp
New yorker Nyt Harpers

There are tons

The nyt has stories that are just beyond

When you think of the amount of resources they need to pour into a single feature story not even a story story

Its beyond

Then you realize well at least they're using some of that bajillions in subscriber revenue to get real stories

You still have to wade past dumbass Paul krugman and their nazi writers

But thats the cost of finding the good stuff unfortunately

You could prob filter out the nazis/opinions if you made an effort

👤 kleer001
If it counts as reading all those webcomics I love are def not junk.

https://www.smbc-comics.com/

https://www.litterboxcomics.com/

https://warandpeas.com

etc...

I get most of 'em on instagram and find lots of new ones too.

👤 shoo
if you're in the mood for learning stuff, or can cultivate an interest in a subject with some academic coverage: journal articles, preprints, textbooks.
👤 tuatoru
Astral Codex Ten and A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry.
👤 cursedfibre
The Daily WTF is fun
👤 brudgers
Why would you want to read things that don't change your brain chemistry?
👤 ghoda
A few blogs like Naked Capitalism and the occasional acoup.blog entry.
👤 enduku
Lobste.rs