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Ask HN: Anyone using Anki/Spaced-repetition successfully?

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Re: Ask HN: Anyone using Anki/Spaced-repetition successfully?

#11
I started using it about a week or two ago after someone linked a post called "Augmenting Long-Term Memory"[0] in another thread here. I've been reviewing daily and have already noticed knowledge that I was beginning to forget feeling refreshed and more solidified. For example, I used to be very familiar with the oauth2 protocol after having to implement a compliant service a couple of years ago. But I realized that knowledge was beginning to slip. After "Ankifying" some of the parts of the protocol that I thought were most useful, I have a good grasp of it again.

Since then I also started going through the ActivityPub protocol and Ankifying that, too. I'd scanned it a couple of times before and started building an implementation for fun, but I feel like Anki helped me grasp it better. I also don't have to refer back to the doc as much as I used to. Aside from the reviewing itself being useful, writing the actual cards has been very useful as well (but I kind of expected that, since writing/blogging has long been my preferred way of reinforcing new learnings).

I've Ankified different kinds of things so far, all in one deck. From details of auth flows to git commands (so I no longer have to Google each time I need to remember how to delete a remote tag or reset a git author).

[0] http://augmentingcognition.com/ltm.html

Re: Ask HN: Anyone using Anki/Spaced-repetition successfully?

#12

I’ve been using SuperMemo for 16 years, do my cards every day (just finished today’s cards about 20 mins ago). Super useful for obvious stuff like languages, but also very useful for more subtle stuff you want to keep in your brain; you basically have a “remember forever” button in your life, which you can use for useful information you encounter online, facts about loved ones, jokes, scientific concepts, cognitive b…

As far as daily life goes, I do my reps in the morning and don’t really use SuperMemo much throughout the day. I have a text file in the Notes app on my phone where I write stuff that I want to remember and then I add those flashcards when I’m watching YouTube or a TV show with my wife. Fun evening activity to do. I have 110,000 flashcards so far.

> I have 110,000 flashcards so far.

When you're doing your daily reps, do you tackle a particular category each time or is it completely randomized?

> useful information you encounter online, facts about loved ones, jokes, scientific concepts, cognitive biases you are prone to

What other topics?

Re: Ask HN: Anyone using Anki/Spaced-repetition successfully?

#13
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as daily life goes, I do my reps in the morning and don’t really use SuperMemo much throughout the day. I have a text file in the Notes app on my phone where I write stuff that I want to remember and then I add those flashcards when I’m watching YouTube or a TV show with my wife. Fun evening activity to do. I have 110,000 flashcards so far.

> I have 110,000 flashcards so far. When you're doing your daily reps, do you tackle a particular category each time or is it completely randomized? > useful information you encounter online, facts about loved ones, jokes, scientific concepts, cognitive biases you are prone to What other topics?

Nope, doing reviews where topics are totally randomized (Called stochastic review) has been easier for me in the long run because I don’t have to categorize things, I just shovel them into SuperMemo and review them when their time comes. One skill you acquire while doing this is you learn how to quickly establish context for an idea since you can’t rely on contextual groupings when you’re doing your reviews. This has helped me learn to summarize information quicker because long term you will be asking yourself “If I don’t see this flashcard for three years, does this question establish enough contextual information that I can answer it?” Most flashcards are only one or two sentences long, since reading a paragraph to review a single card is really monotonous. As far as what info do I remember with it, it started out purely for language stuff, then I started using it for job info, then started using it for more “high class” information like history or science, but also experimented with idioms in foreign languages and then jokes in my mother tongue (English), which has been a lot of fun. I’m pretty convinced that if someone really committed to it, you could learn to be a really good comedian or freestyle rapper by using spaced repetition.

Re: Ask HN: Anyone using Anki/Spaced-repetition successfully?

#14

I wrote this two years ago: https://camilomatajira.wordpress.com/2020/05/05/my-most-prec... Anki is great. However I am getting a little bit tired after the years. I now use it more as my knowledge base.

This inspires me to start creating cards as well. > Today, my Anki has 4415 cards and grows everyday. I have spent 186 hours studying, I have made around 35K card reviews. Do you have any personal reflections on what sort of cards worked for you, and how you'd chunk the information or any other tips in using it?

My main tip would be: whatever is important for you, should be placed into Anki. We, men forget everything. Specially important useful things. Women never forget, specially married ones, that's why they don't use Anki haha.

I would also suggest to try to create plain text cards. In the future it would be easier to search for material that you know is there but that you don't recall exactly.

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