u/folder52

I've been experimenting with a simple way to deal with content overload. My browser used to be a graveyard of 100+ open tabs. The hardest part turned out to be choosing what to read.

So I started using an LLM as a gatekeeper.

Instead of treating every link as a mandatory assignment, I run them through a ~3-minute audio filter first. Originally, I thought this would just be about summaries, but it evolved into a decision tool. After hundreds of articles, I found that for most long-form content, a short breakdown is usually enough. It gives me the core ideas, hidden assumptions, and counter-arguments - without the fluff. One thing that surprised me was how much the signal improves when combining the article with its discussion threads (HN, Reddit).

Even with that improved signal, longer outputs didn’t help as much as I expected. Anything longer than ~3 minutes starts to feel like a half-read. It doesn't actually save time.

3 minutes seems to be the sweet spot for a Go/No-Go decision. This turned out to be less about time and more about deciding what deserves it.

Curious if others are using LLMs this way - not to replace reading, but to filter before committing to it.

I used to have 100+ saved articles in my bookmarks that I never opened. It hit me recently that I don’t even want to read most of them — I just have this irrational fear of missing out on something important.

I started my experiment by manually copy-pasting articles into ChatGPT just to hear summaries while walking or doing chores. I got tired of doing this manually and eventually automated it into a Telegram bot.

Originally, I thought I needed deep, 10-minute breakdowns. I even built a "More details" button for longer versions. I almost never touch it.

After 6 months and hundreds of articles, it’s pretty obvious: for 9 out of 10 long reads, three minutes is exactly enough. It gives me the core idea, the hidden assumptions, and the counter-arguments — without the fluff.

I realized I didn't need more time in my day; I just needed a faster way to tell if a 20-minute article is actually worth the commitment.

I'm curious if this aggressive filtering works for anyone else or if this is just a better way to deal with information overload.

Landing page & Examples: tldr-radio.humifylab.com