I finally realized that there is a way that I can use the power of aggregators without giving up my (perhaps irrational) attachment to the visual space of weblogs.
I'm going to use an aggreagator (Bloglines, to be specific) to read the online magazines that I haven't been remembering to check regularly. Boxes and Arrows, A List Apart, Salon.com, Wired News, and BoingBoing.
Because Bloglines is a browser-based aggregator, I won't have to remember to launch a new application. I just have to add the link to my start page (which right now features my blogrolls) so that I remember to check it regularly.
Yeah, I'm a bloglines fan too. I use it as my main aggregator - it suits those of us nomadic, multi-device types better than an aggregator that's tied to a single device. It is amazing how it enables me to quickly browse a multitude of sources for items of interest, but I also agree that it lacks the visual panache of many (though not all) of the blogs.
Bloglines can quickly suck you in, but you'll still hit the sites to leave comments ;).
And Oren, I just added your feed to my bloglines list. I wouldn't expect you to remember me, but I sat on the UW Tech Fee committee for a couple of years (a couple of years ago!), when you were our favorite ex officio member.
Bloglines made me discover your blog... I like it a lot !
Alex - of course I remember you, and nice to connect again!
Liz, thanks for the opportunity for such connections...
- Oren