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Ask HN: Newsletters are a mess for me. Need help

4 points by ayugarg567 ↗ HN
Opening my email box every day to read newsletters is like stepping into a jungle – a scary one! All these unread emails just stare back at me, and I end up closing it all because it's just too much to handle! Maybe, we can blame the attention span.

I tried everything : made a new email just for these newsletters, and sorted them into folders, but guess what?

Still a mess! I just can't keep up!

Sometimes, I click on an email thinking, "Ah, this is gonna be good!" But nope, it's just words that don't matter to me. Feels like I'm wasting time looking for something I never find. I get that not every newsletter will be the same or for me, but at least I should know that before I open and start reading it.

And don't even get me started on those ads! They're everywhere, making it hard to enjoy reading. Why do newsletters have to be about selling stuff?

I used to love newsletters; they were my go-to for info. But now? It's a struggle to even make sense of them. I need help!

I still believe in newsletters, but I just don't know what to do.

If you've read it till here, how do you consume your newsletters?

16 comments

[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 51.0 ms ] thread
adastra22
Delete them and unsubscribe? I’m not subscribed to any newsletters or mailing lists, and doing just fine.
ayugarg567
Newsletters offer curated, valuable information on specific topics, keeping you informed about the latest trends, expert insights, and content.

I don't believe unsubscribing is the solution here.

adastra22
Are you really the same person that wrote the original question? Here let me quote you:

> Sometimes, I click on an email thinking, "Ah, this is gonna be good!" But nope, it's just words that don't matter to me. Feels like I'm wasting time looking for something I never find.

ayugarg567
That's usually because - a creator's content is not useful for me on a regular basis. So hence there's friction. Hope this clears
adastra22
Either the content is useful to you in which case you should stay subscribed and keep reading, or it isn’t and you should unsubscribe. I really don’t understand this middle ground of “I hate reading this but I must keep receiving it”.
srbhr
Is there a way to mass unsubscribe?
ayugarg567
This is something, a few people have asked me. will be working on it.
dotmanish
Are you trying to drip-launch a product on HN?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38428497

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38473489

It’s a good problem to solve - eager to try if you have a product ready.

ayugarg567
Well yes. Have been working on this newsletter experience issue - Trying to figure out some potential solution here.

if you could solve any one problem to make your newsletter consumption experience the best - what would that be?

DarrenDev
I really don't see a problem with newsletters. If one starts getting too dull or is no longer of interest, I unsubscribe.

Functionally, they all work the same and all have the same unsubscribe link at the bottom. It's not like the bad old days anymore when you were signed up to lists you never signed up for.

Unless your use of newsletters is different to other people's, I don't see what problem you're trying to fix.

Why are you signing up to newsletters you don't want?

ayugarg567
I'm glad it is a good experience for you.

What I have discovered is that everyone's approach to newsletters varies, and I'm just figuring out if there's a problem big enough for me to lend a hand to those feeling the newsletter chaos! Your input helps.

solution-finder
Readwise.io reader was the answer for me
ayugarg567
So readwise usually solves the problem for revisiting the old content, right? how does it help you with your newsletter consumption?
quickthrower2
I take great pleasure in unsubscribing from all that crap. I don’t want to read them. Think about it: how often do I want to say “someone can have my attention every day or week or month who is just marketing stuff to me”. Just get rid of it all. I way prefer say Reddit ads over that.
ayugarg567
Do you feel the unsubscribing process os weird?
quickthrower2
It is annoying. I prefer the ones where you click, you are taken to a page and you are fully subscribed. No login required to do so.