Can entertainment actually be(come) a chore? - Page 2

DrNefario · 06-27-2013, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

You could add a custom column to Calibre for the purpose.

Well, I don't really want to add books I don't own to Calibre, but most importantly I want the lists on my iPod, so I can refer to them when I'm in a second-hand bookshop or at work or whatever.

HarryT · 06-27-2013, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNefario

Well, I don't really want to add books I don't own to Calibre, but most importantly I want the lists on my iPod, so I can refer to them when I'm in a second-hand bookshop or at work or whatever.

I use the low-tech approach of having an "eBooks to Buy" page on the "Notes" app on my iPhone.

Rbneader · 06-27-2013, 09:16 AM

Hm. I guess you can *let* it become a chore. But if it isn't fun, why are you doing it during playtime? If I'm not having fun with one toy, I pick another. Sometimes I want to organize, sometimes I want to tinker, sometimes I just want to read or play a game. It's all good so long as I'm enjoying it.

usuallee · 06-27-2013, 09:28 AM

The short answer is yes, if you let it. There are really two aspects of this (maybe more for some). For me, organization/management is like a hobby, albeit one I enjoy only in short bursts. I do sometimes enjoy puttering around with my collections in Calibre for books, Musicbee for music and audiobooks, etc., as well as backing things up. But after about ten minutes I'll think, instead of doing this, I could be reading, or actually paying attention to the TV show or movie that I have playing as I am messing about with my media with my laptop. So I organize some, but then I add some so my media is forever in a state of semi-organized chaos.

The other aspect that could potentially be burdensome - you know, in a "first world problem" sort of way - is that there is so much content out there, and I am interested in so many damn things. Music, Books (both fiction and nonfiction), films, TV, sports, even video games occasionally - and many genres and types of each. I want to read "War & Peace" someday, and immerse myself in classical music, and watch every episode of Star Trek: the Next Generation and watch every James Bond movie in chronological order (one goal I actually achieved recently), and then I'll suddenly think "I want to read a book about the Vikings, (or the origins of World War I, or the American colonial period, or whatever)". That is why I dubbed myself "media junkie".

I do also spend precious time researching and compiling lists of stuff I want to check out. If I like something I immediately need to know every similar or "recommended if you like" item and add it to my list or sample it. I've made peace with the fact that I'll never get to it all. There are plenty of books, movies etc, that are high on my list, then fade back and I never get to them. That's one reason why I have very little patience for mediocrity - I only have time for the best. I used to always complete a book I started no matter how terrible - at some point I realized how foolish that was. If it is something I've paid a decent amount for (like an ebook costing $10 or more) I'll give a longer leash to, in order to try to get my money's worth. And with that, I think I've babbled on enough :-)

theinfamousj · 06-27-2013, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fluribus

I do not have To-Be-Done lists. I have Possibility Piles. Items that are available at my whim. They are my servants, not my masters.

Possibility Piles! Love it! I am stealing your whole concept.

Rbneader · 06-27-2013, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theinfamousj

Possibility Piles! Love it! I am stealing your whole concept.

That is an awesome phrase.

I just call them my libraries - I have a games library, a books library, etc.

Katsunami · 06-27-2013, 10:40 AM

Heh. I can recognize some stuff in the answers given.

For people who are thinking that I'm frantically compiling lists of everything: that's not the case. However, it often happens that I stumble upon a book, song, game... and so on, and I think: I'd like to read or play or watch that. Then I just add it to the list.

The problem is that mosts lists become longer more quickly than I can "work" through them, books and games (especially RPG's) being the worst by far. Adding a 1000 page book to the list takes 4 seconds, while it takes me 28 to 40 hours (depending on the subject and genre) to read it.

jersysman · 06-27-2013, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Heh. I can recognize some stuff in the answers given.

For people who are thinking that I'm frantically compiling lists of everything: that's not the case. However, it often happens that I stumble upon a book, song, game... and so on, and I think: I'd like to read or play or watch that. Then I just add it to the list.

The problem is that mosts lists become longer more quickly than I can "work" through them, books and games (especially RPG's) being the worst by far. Adding a 1000 page book to the list takes 4 seconds, while it takes me 28 to 40 hours (depending on the subject and genre) to read it.

Then you just come up with another list for those things you JUST HAVE TO DO! This would be called... wait for it... a Just Have to Do List!!!

CWatkinsNash · 06-27-2013, 10:53 AM

I don't make lists of to-reads, outside of keeping a list of ongoing series in my annual Goodreads challenge thread. But I do put some work into keeping my various media organized so that I can enjoy them most easily.
-- Ripping movies / tv shows to my media center PC, and having them presented in an easy-to-navigate manner through multiple interfaces (WMC, on the Roku, or through the media server client on another computer or device)
-- All my CDs ripped to iTunes with complete metadata
--All my ebooks in calibre, and though I never quite catch up on the metadata, the bulk of them are complete

I used to put a lot more time into it than I do now, which was good because it gave me a clearer picture of what I have. These days, I just do maintenance every so often, primarily in calibre because the other collections don't get added to very often.

So yes, there is some work involved, but it makes the process of enjoying these things much better, so it balances out.

cfrizz · 06-27-2013, 10:53 AM

I don't believe in to do lists. The urgent things get taken care of right away, and the rest stays until I get around to it.

I read whatever I'm in the mood to read or reread. I probably have more books that I will get to read and continue to add more. So long as I have them at my disposal to read that is all I care about.

Life is too short to make a chore out of something that is supposed to be fun!

latepaul · 06-27-2013, 11:58 AM

I have noticed this problem and I am trying to be more spontaneous in what I read/watch etc.

The problem is there's a part of my brain that likes making lists for its own sake. Also I find I need to organise what I read when if I want to take part in certain discussion e.g. book clubs or online discussion when a new book/episode comes out.

Another problem - which is not so much about the list making - is the series that I want to 'someday' finish. TBH this is a bigger problem with TV than books. I have a 1Tb drive on my DVR that's half full of stuff I may get around to finishing at some point.

Apache · 06-27-2013, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I use the low-tech approach of having an "eBooks to Buy" page on the "Notes" app on my iPhone.

I do the same thing.

Apache

DiapDealer · 06-27-2013, 12:52 PM

I just add stuff to my "Sorta Wanna" shelf on goodreads. It may die there or graduate to the "Prolly Gonna" shelf. Stuff that stands a good chance of actually being read usually finds its way to the "To Read" shelf. But there's very little rhyme or reason (or time spent curating the shelves). My next read could just easily be something that caught my eye two minutes ago as something that percolated through the shelves. I jot things down so that I don't forget it caught my eye at some point, but that's about it.

Abtacha · 06-27-2013, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fluribus

I have Possibility Piles.

I like that!

I'm much the same, I have things (books, games, tv-shows) that I'd like to get around to read/play/watch but I don't beat myself up over it. If I'm interested in something right now I read it now, whether it's been sitting on my shelve (or rather Calibre library) for years or I still have to buy it.

usuallee · 06-27-2013, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I just add stuff to my "Sorta Wanna" shelf on goodreads. It may die there or graduate to the "Prolly Gonna" shelf. Stuff that stands a good chance of actually being read usually finds its way to the "To Read" shelf. But there's very little rhyme or reason (or time spent curating the shelves). My next read could just easily be something that caught my eye two minutes ago as something that percolated through the shelves. I jot things down so that I don't forget it caught my eye at some point, but that's about it.

That's hilarious! Love those shelf names, I wonder if they are trademarked, or in the public domain :-)

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06-27-2013, 09:16 AM	#18
Rbneader Fanatic Posts: 503 Karma: 2661351 Join Date: Mar 2012 Device: None	Hm. I guess you can let it become a chore. But if it isn't fun, why are you doing it during playtime? If I'm not having fun with one toy, I pick another. Sometimes I want to organize, sometimes I want to tinker, sometimes I just want to read or play a game. It's all good so long as I'm enjoying it.

06-27-2013, 09:28 AM	#19
usuallee Media Junkie Posts: 278 Karma: 2039392 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Device: Kobo Libra H20, Kindle PW	The short answer is yes, if you let it. There are really two aspects of this (maybe more for some). For me, organization/management is like a hobby, albeit one I enjoy only in short bursts. I do sometimes enjoy puttering around with my collections in Calibre for books, Musicbee for music and audiobooks, etc., as well as backing things up. But after about ten minutes I'll think, instead of doing this, I could be reading, or actually paying attention to the TV show or movie that I have playing as I am messing about with my media with my laptop. So I organize some, but then I add some so my media is forever in a state of semi-organized chaos. The other aspect that could potentially be burdensome - you know, in a "first world problem" sort of way - is that there is so much content out there, and I am interested in so many damn things. Music, Books (both fiction and nonfiction), films, TV, sports, even video games occasionally - and many genres and types of each. I want to read "War & Peace" someday, and immerse myself in classical music, and watch every episode of Star Trek: the Next Generation and watch every James Bond movie in chronological order (one goal I actually achieved recently), and then I'll suddenly think "I want to read a book about the Vikings, (or the origins of World War I, or the American colonial period, or whatever)". That is why I dubbed myself "media junkie". I do also spend precious time researching and compiling lists of stuff I want to check out. If I like something I immediately need to know every similar or "recommended if you like" item and add it to my list or sample it. I've made peace with the fact that I'll never get to it all. There are plenty of books, movies etc, that are high on my list, then fade back and I never get to them. That's one reason why I have very little patience for mediocrity - I only have time for the best. I used to always complete a book I started no matter how terrible - at some point I realized how foolish that was. If it is something I've paid a decent amount for (like an ebook costing $10 or more) I'll give a longer leash to, in order to try to get my money's worth. And with that, I think I've babbled on enough :-)

06-27-2013, 10:40 AM	#22
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	Heh. I can recognize some stuff in the answers given. For people who are thinking that I'm frantically compiling lists of everything: that's not the case. However, it often happens that I stumble upon a book, song, game... and so on, and I think: I'd like to read or play or watch that. Then I just add it to the list. The problem is that mosts lists become longer more quickly than I can "work" through them, books and games (especially RPG's) being the worst by far. Adding a 1000 page book to the list takes 4 seconds, while it takes me 28 to 40 hours (depending on the subject and genre) to read it.

06-27-2013, 10:53 AM	#24
CWatkinsNash IOC Chief Archivist Posts: 3,950 Karma: 53868218 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Fruitland Park, FL, USA Device: Meebook M7, Paperwhite 2021, Fire HD 8+, Fire HD 10+, Lenovo Tab P12	I don't make lists of to-reads, outside of keeping a list of ongoing series in my annual Goodreads challenge thread. But I do put some work into keeping my various media organized so that I can enjoy them most easily. -- Ripping movies / tv shows to my media center PC, and having them presented in an easy-to-navigate manner through multiple interfaces (WMC, on the Roku, or through the media server client on another computer or device) -- All my CDs ripped to iTunes with complete metadata --All my ebooks in calibre, and though I never quite catch up on the metadata, the bulk of them are complete I used to put a lot more time into it than I do now, which was good because it gave me a clearer picture of what I have. These days, I just do maintenance every so often, primarily in calibre because the other collections don't get added to very often. So yes, there is some work involved, but it makes the process of enjoying these things much better, so it balances out.

06-27-2013, 10:53 AM	#25
cfrizz Wizard Posts: 1,570 Karma: 36389706 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Quincy, MA Device: Samsung 54A, Kobo Libra H2O, Samsung S6 Lite	I don't believe in to do lists. The urgent things get taken care of right away, and the rest stays until I get around to it. I read whatever I'm in the mood to read or reread. I probably have more books that I will get to read and continue to add more. So long as I have them at my disposal to read that is all I care about. Life is too short to make a chore out of something that is supposed to be fun!

06-27-2013, 11:58 AM	#26
latepaul Wizard Posts: 1,270 Karma: 10468300 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: a variety (mostly kindles and kobos)	I have noticed this problem and I am trying to be more spontaneous in what I read/watch etc. The problem is there's a part of my brain that likes making lists for its own sake. Also I find I need to organise what I read when if I want to take part in certain discussion e.g. book clubs or online discussion when a new book/episode comes out. Another problem - which is not so much about the list making - is the series that I want to 'someday' finish. TBH this is a bigger problem with TV than books. I have a 1Tb drive on my DVR that's half full of stuff I may get around to finishing at some point.

06-27-2013, 12:52 PM	#28
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,570 Karma: 204127028 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I just add stuff to my "Sorta Wanna" shelf on goodreads. It may die there or graduate to the "Prolly Gonna" shelf. Stuff that stands a good chance of actually being read usually finds its way to the "To Read" shelf. But there's very little rhyme or reason (or time spent curating the shelves). My next read could just easily be something that caught my eye two minutes ago as something that percolated through the shelves. I jot things down so that I don't forget it caught my eye at some point, but that's about it.