I think the feeling of 'missing something' is a false fear. If something is really good, or really popular, you will see it (like 2048). When you need inspiration you can find it. But what most people need to do (myself included) is seek inspiration less and do more work.
Yes, there is something as too much of a good thing.
Even if I mostly browse Hacker News, I usually see quite a few in-depth articles that would really merit more attention than what I usually I give them, just because I'm distracted by the next shiny news item.
At some point, it ceases being inspiration and "professional interest" and becomes entertainment, or just distraction.
(This is just how I feel personally, I don't want to diss the app that looks very nice).
You're right, but a lot of inspiration comes from serendipity. Just randomly clicking and hitting a link that sparks for you. It's why I created http://skimfeed.com to scratch my itch.
Additionally I've found focusing on the work of others rather than "news" works best. Show hn, tutorials, questions and answers on topics of interest (stack is huge), new plugins, that sorta thing. That way you're improving even in your downtime.
This is true if you only judge what is 'good' as something that has mass appeal. What if you are into esoteric stuff that most people don't get? Also I think you undervalue inspiration, the work can be effortless when you have the right motivation.
I agree that if something is really popular, you'll see it. But being popular doesn't imply that it is really good, or something really good might not always be popular. Also 'popular' depends on the filter bubble you are currently in (whatever your sources are). I also agree that we should do more work, which is why I've always been a fan of curated sources by people (or algorithms, as in Zite) whose taste I trust instead of browsing through an endless stream of feeds and websites. I'll always choose the option of a daily or weekly newsletter instead of browsing through the site every hour or so.
Strong start. I like being able to hit up a single place for a quick pulse on what's going on in the industry and then jumping back out without having to spend a lot of time screwing around on 15 different sites. There's so much good stuff out there -- I leave feeling energized every time I visit the site. Looking forward to seeing how they work out the kinks and polish the UI.
I agree, and actually like hn as I can come at every hour and find something interesting. I don't feel the fear to miss something (it's not timely ordered), just the pleasure to be always satisfied.
