![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
2.5 weeks ago I learned that Pocket was going to shut down imminently. I used it regularly, for many years, and still had 1461 unread saved articles waiting to be read. I’m pleased to say that I have now read them all - rather miraculous, given that I am asleep literally most of each 24 hours. I am now fully switched back to Instapaper, which I used long before. It also has the advantage of working better with my iPod touch - my main device when resting in bed for so much time - which can’t go newer than iOS 15.
Pocket to ????
May. 23rd, 2025 11:37 amVery sad to see Pocket is closing down. I've used it for 7 years, to save things I want to read later. At the moment I suspect I'm likely to revert to Instapaper, who I left after their service stopped working for a while in the EU/UK due to GDPR. But musing options. Martin also relies on Pocket on a daily basis.
I use the Pocket app to save articles (web stories, newspaper articles etc) to read later. A year ago I had 7000 unread articles saved in Pocket, after being so extremely ill for so long, unable to read stuff, but still saving interesting things I wanted to read later. Now I’ve nearly cleared my Pocket backlog. I’ve been blitzing it since just before Christmas, when it was about 6000. I only have 2 unread articles currently saved in Pocket now. One is an Ars Technica history of roguelike computer games. The other an in depth look at Infocom’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy text adventure. Good articles to have saved to last! I will keep saving new articles to Pocket in future to read later but hope to keep my unread count fairly low. And not the almost 10,000 it was once.
Just managed to get my count of unread articles saved to Pocket down under 7,000 again. Pocket is one of a number of ways of storing articles you see but can’t read there and then but want to keep to read later. Not long ago my count was almost 8,000 unread. A few years ago it was almost 10,000 and then I had 2 very ill years, when I saved even more and couldn’t read them often. But it’s dropping well now I’m more awake again. Masses yet to read! But next up - or down! - I’m aiming for the 5000s. This is a huge range of saved articles, many newspaper or online. I shake up the reading by searching for articles that mention specific words or subjects and bingeing them. Martin has about 1,250 unread articles at the moment and is slightly alarmed at that. I give him a look 😜 Note my huge count isn’t any bad mark against Pocket or sign that it isn’t effective. I’m just heavily sedated from my neuro illness and end up saving more articles to read later than I can get through promptly. But it does work for me. I use the Pocket app on my iPad and iPod touch, and it’s easiest to save via the iOS share button to read later. Pocket can also integrate well with web browsers on computers. I find it a great way of managing delayed reading. Now if only I was more awake ...
