Readability and saying “yes” on the web

The inclusion of the open-source codebase from Readability is one of my favorite features of the Safari 5 browser. Clicking on the “Reader” button strips the webpage to just the essential text. This makes reading long pieces on the web so much more enjoyable – as you can see in the example pictured below.

This morning I read Paul Ford’s Notice of Advisory Relationship and something he said really resonated with me.

I’ve learned that the web has countless ways to say “no,” or to say “meh.” It has fewer ways to say “yes.” Readability looks like a way to say “yes” to people doing hard work—whether they’re journalists, essay and fiction writers, publishers, editors, fact-checkers, illustrators, photographers, proofreaders, circulation specialists—or the people who write the checks. The web needs more “yes.”

This is why I decided to sign up and start using Readability as more than just a tool to easily read long articles (the free version). I appreciate the fact that 70% of my monthly subscription ($3.50 of my $5) goes directly to the writers and publishers of the content that I read. I am excited to see people who are passionate about quality writing on the web and want to see it flourish.

Here is a video explanation of Readability: