NW;DR: The New Way To Evaluate Content

There are thousands times as many things available to read as there were a decade ago. (In fact, it is possible there are millions as many). With almost no barriers to self-publishing, anyone can spread their ideas through the internet- some insightful and worth reading and others not. The result is “TL;DR,” internet talk for “too long, didn’t read.”

In On! The Future of Now, Seth Godin explores the fallacy of judging an article or blog post by it’s length. By judging content solely by it’s entertainment value and length, learners rob themselves of their chance to expand their minds and digest worthwhile information. “Judging by length is foolish,” Seth argues. “TL;DR shows self-contempt, because you’re ignoring the useful in exchange for the short or the amusing. The media has responded to our demand by giving us a rising tide of ever shorter, ever more amusing wastes of time.” To conclude his chapter, Seth suggests an alternative to the acronym TL;DR.

*This post is part of a series highlighting personal stories and key themes from our new book, On! The Future of Now. Order your copy of On! The Future of now here. Proceeds to support Charity: Water.

About Seth Godin

Seth Godin is the author of 17 bestselling books around the world that have been translated into more than 35 languages. You might be familiar with his books Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip and Purple Cow. Learn more about Seth Godin here.

About On! The Future of Now

Published in partnership with Nokia and curated by Toby Daniels and Craig Hepburn, On! The Future of Now is a collection of essays and personal stories from leading thinkers, including best-selling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin; Cindy Gallop, founder of Make Love Not Porn; Jonah Peretti, founder and CEO of BuzzFeed and Leah Busque, founder of TaskRabbit. On! The Future of Now is available in eBook and paperback. To buy the book and support Charity: Water, click here.