yesterday this went viral on facebook:
stuffed with doubt, my curiosity won over my hopes of not biting the bait.
i clicked.
i went in expecting to be underwhelmed and uninspired
BUT THEN…
this is seriously cray cray crazy.
it is called Spritz and it could change the way we read FOREVER.
personally, i like books and the visceral experience of turning the pages, but for reading news and the like, this would be GRRRRRREEEEEAAAT!!
here is “The Science” behind it, which basically moves the words for you with the ‘optimal recognition point’ at the eye line. if you don’t have to move your eyes around to locate the
start out at 350wpm:
here is my only holdup: dry eyes.
watching that thing move so fast and not wanting to miss anything makes blinking happen less.
plus, when i try and remind myself to blink, i am so focused on blinking that i miss or forget the content.
even with the blinking con considered, i’m for it because now i can say i can read at 600 wpm and that makes me feel like this:
what do you think?
Unexpected Blues 
I admit – I’m intrigued! I’ve always considered myself a speed reader of sorts anyways….I “skim” a whole lot, mainly get the gist of most things that don’t require I commit them to memory. This would be amazing just for the things you mention! (definitely not for books/stories I’m wanting to read and savor 🙂 )
It’s an intriguing idea. Props to its developers for their cleverness. However, as you stated, it does cause dry eyes. For some, this is just an inconvenience; for others – those who tend to have dry eyes already – it might render this product useless.
Nice, for the folks that want it, me, well, I enjoy a nice book of words on paper, taking my time, enjoying each sentence at a leisurely pace. I’m not really sure what I like better the book itself or the time spent with the book lol.
I really agree with you. I love the book experience and reading as an activity. Thank you for reading and sharing!
I read those words as they flashed by, but I honestly don’t remember what they said. If I want to enjoy what I’m reading, I need to do it slowly and deliberately. If I want to absorb, I can’t do it at a skimmer’s pace. And if I need to back, it’s much easier to glance upwards or turn the page back than it is to navigate to the “rewind” button.
Besides, all writing isn’t the same, and all writing isn’t meant to be read the same. Some things (like a contract, a political proclamation, or one of your blog posts) need to be read slowly for it to soak in and be appreciated. Other things (like a children’s book, People magazine, or an advertisement) are meant to be understood quickly and easily. I’d much rather read at my own pace than to program a device to scroll words at the pace I deem appropriate.
And yeah, there’s the dry-eye thing, too.
Nearly instant headache. Totally makes me not want to read anything with it.