Skimming is reading for gist, between the lines, in a semi-distracted state. A way to get the main idea of a text quickly, flipping pages, jumping pages with the spacebar, infinitely scrolling. I think of skimming stones, as my eyes jump in [saccades](http://suncityvision.com/photos/info-eyemovements1.jpg) over the surface of the text.
Skimming is reading for gist, between the lines, in a semi-distracted state. A way to get the main idea of a text quickly, flipping pages, jumping pages with the spacebar, infinitely scrolling. I think of the pastime of skimming stones, as my eyes jump in [saccades](http://suncityvision.com/photos/info-eyemovements1.jpg) over the surface of the text.
Many folk prefer to read from paper than from a screen. A common complaint is that reading from a screen is tiring, especially when you just want the gist of a text. TL;DR. This article will take about 16mins to read.
Many folk prefer to read from paper than from a screen. A common complaint is that reading from a screen is tiring, especially when you just want the gist of a text. TL;DR. Sometimes this is precipitated by information about how long it will take to read an article or essay online.
## scanning
Scanning is reading for particular details such as names and numbers by running one's eyes over every word in a line. Sometimes I find myself using a finger to guide my eyes when scanning a printed text. With a computer and full-text search capabilities, it's often as simple as pressing control- or command-F.
