Comments on: Outsourcing human memory

By: Michael Bloch

Michael Bloch — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:43:09 +0000

Maybe we need to form some sort of twelve step group - “Hi, I’m Michael, and I’ve outsourced my memory.. it all began with Outlook’s calendar function..” :)

By: Arthur Lance

Arthur Lance — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:41:56 +0000

Wow. Just what i needed. For a while, I thought I was wierd.
I personally have found out that I have developed a very selective memory. Storing only information that I believe is crucial.
As a software developer I find that with a selective memory it has become easy to learn new frameworks, yet at the same time I can’t remember things my mind considers to be trivial like song lyrics, or movie directors except I really liked a song or a movie.

A few days ago, I almost got lost while trying to get to a friend’s house although I had travelled along that road a million times. It was simple, I had never considered learning or observing the way because I had considered that trivial. Most of the time, we rode to his place I was either brainstorming, talking, listening to music. I definitely was planning to rely on mapquest for directions when the time came to get to his place.

My friend however could not just understand how I still couldn’t locate having been there several times.

By: Starr Horne

Starr Horne — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:48:32 +0000

Man - I thought I was the only one.

Personally, I’ve found that it’s not necessarily harder to remember facts that I’m exposed to. But technology increasingly hides information from us.

For example, I recently learned a new programming framework, and it was pretty easy to retain that info.

But phone numbers? If I need to call someone, I just lookup their name in my cell phone. I never even see the number.