37signals Backpack. http://backpackit.com/

For more information read this article: http://patrickrhone.com/2006/06/27/backpack-new-gtd-implemen...

I have noticed the same thing and wholeheartedly agree with you.

Simple solution: categories with separate feeds.

That leads to the subreddit problem.

How about instead of having the submitter categorize the submission, everybody can categorize it, just the same as everybody can upvote?

Not sure what "the subreddit problem" is. Just wondering if that would help.

Solutions to problems lead to more problems.

There is already a Mac app that does this (and you choose which sites to block)

http://visitsteve.com/work/selfcontrol/

If you read the post it mentions that apps like self control are imperfect because you have to keep telling it which sites to block. RescueTime has a huge part of the internet already categorized and scored as distracting or not and lets you tune those settings in broad strokes - so if you go to a site you've never even heard of, if it's a distracting site you'll be blocked without having to have entered it.

I'm a web designer. I usually skip the programming news, but still come here to read about other topics. There's a bunch of smart people here.

Oh please, I didn't add Hacker News to my feed reader to get articles from Zen Habits.

It reminded me of a conversation I had a few months ago:

Buddy: I did bungee jumping last summer, did you know?

Me: "umm... all right?"

...

uncomfortable silence

Faking enthusiasm is something I find very difficult to do, but I guess I should at least start trying.

Also, how to stop assuming that other people are not sincere when they show interest to me?

Not all geeks are shy (even though the author seems to think so). Still, these tips can be useful for everybody who wants to improve his/her networking skills.

Exactly. I'm filing this one under 'general networking advice'.

Now it's time to redesign the actual Hacker News site.

Not really. Not proud of it, but I just don't see that much value in reading. It seems like a waste of time to me. I'd rather use that time to get more done.

I might start reading about web design and related topics, since that's what I do and I could probably learn a lot from this kind of books, but honestly I'm not interested in reading fiction at all.

Maybe it because of all those boring books I was forced to read as a kid at school.

Interesting question, but what's so great about "getting things done."? I'm guessing it's just a matter of personality, but contemplation is at least as important to me as any accomplishment.