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I No Longer Tell My Friends about Anki/SuperMemo

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Re: I No Longer Tell My Friends about Anki/SuperMemo

#2
Outside of learning a language are there many times that wrote memorization is useful?

I can't think how I would use this in a software development sense. Coding katas come close to this and a useful but I'm not sure flash cards would do the same.

Maybe it would be handy to memorize a libraries API but then if I use something enough that memorization would be useful I'll learn it by way of using it.

Re: I No Longer Tell My Friends about Anki/SuperMemo

#3
post #2

Outside of learning a language are there many times that wrote memorization is useful? I can't think how I would use this in a software development sense. Coding katas come close to this and a useful but I'm not sure flash cards would do the same. Maybe it would be handy to memorize a libraries API but then if I use something enough that memorization would be useful I'll learn it by way of using it.

Traffic signs

musical notation

geography

history

chemistry

metallurgy

physics

healthcare

...

This is one of those 'what have the Romans done for us' comments. Intelligence + facts = smarts. Facts are to thinking like fuel is to an engine, without facts your thinking will be either useless or wrong. So regardless of how smart you are some degree of access to facts is a requirement and if you can do this without having to look things up all the time it will go faster and with access to more facts the quality of your output will go up.

Re: I No Longer Tell My Friends about Anki/SuperMemo

#5
post #2

Outside of learning a language are there many times that wrote memorization is useful? I can't think how I would use this in a software development sense. Coding katas come close to this and a useful but I'm not sure flash cards would do the same. Maybe it would be handy to memorize a libraries API but then if I use something enough that memorization would be useful I'll learn it by way of using it.

Besides learning vocabulary, the one place I'm really getting great results with Anki is exam preparation.

Exams are often in a very well-defined scope where you can rote learn most of the definitions, and the few exercise variants that appear in preparation also can appear on the exam.

I don't think that this is the best way to learn many things, but exams are partially tangential to true learning and it works well enough in my experience.

Re: I No Longer Tell My Friends about Anki/SuperMemo

#6
post #2

Outside of learning a language are there many times that wrote memorization is useful? I can't think how I would use this in a software development sense. Coding katas come close to this and a useful but I'm not sure flash cards would do the same. Maybe it would be handy to memorize a libraries API but then if I use something enough that memorization would be useful I'll learn it by way of using it.

There was a post not too long ago (I can't remember it unfortunately) where someone argued that memorization (they used software development specifically as the example) could help in connecting concepts. You can be a developer who knows what to google. Or you could be one who knows lots by heart and connects everything they know. I'm a bit sceptical myself, since rote memorization seems like something that is easily forgotten after a few months..

Re: I No Longer Tell My Friends about Anki/SuperMemo

#7
post #2

Outside of learning a language are there many times that wrote memorization is useful? I can't think how I would use this in a software development sense. Coding katas come close to this and a useful but I'm not sure flash cards would do the same. Maybe it would be handy to memorize a libraries API but then if I use something enough that memorization would be useful I'll learn it by way of using it.

I basically settled on an Anki-like system for cramming for tests in college. But this was a situation where I largely didn't attend class, but knew what formulas I'd need to know to pass each exam. Like clockwork, about 48 hours before an exam I'd lock myself away and make a bunch of flashcards, then spend hours rote memorizing them. It worked, and it got me through the tests, but I'd didn't really learn much.

Re: I No Longer Tell My Friends about Anki/SuperMemo

#8
I say this with all the kindness that I have... this article/guy is really sad.

First of all, if you think you've found the world's ultimate fighting technique, don't try to show it to random people for approval. Use it. Anki yourself in secret until you're a super-saiyan, and then unleash your strength on the quivering masses. Hear the lamentation of their women, until they are begging you for mercy and also to teach them about spaced repetition.

That brings us to the second problem... spaced repetition doesn't work. Or rather, it does work, but it does the wrong thing. If you want to be a walking encyclopedia, maybe SR is a good approach. But if you want to understand the world, be able to do things, be funny and gregarious, know the answer but also know when to play dumb... SR can't help you. Even if you want to learn a language, if you can't learn it by using it, do you even need it?

I was excited about SuperMemo, Anki, etc. too at one point. Eventually I decided that they just aren't that good. Now here's the thing: if you really think SR is the best thing ever, don't argue with people - prove us wrong.

Re: I No Longer Tell My Friends about Anki/SuperMemo

#9
post #3
post #2

Outside of learning a language are there many times that wrote memorization is useful? I can't think how I would use this in a software development sense. Coding katas come close to this and a useful but I'm not sure flash cards would do the same. Maybe it would be handy to memorize a libraries API but then if I use something enough that memorization would be useful I'll learn it by way of using it.

Traffic signs musical notation geography history chemistry metallurgy physics healthcare ... This is one of those 'what have the Romans done for us' comments. Intelligence + facts = smarts. Facts are to thinking like fuel is to an engine, without facts your thinking will be either useless or wrong. So regardless of how smart you are some degree of access to facts is a requirement and if you can do this without having…

Did you use it for any of these and what was your experience?

Re: I No Longer Tell My Friends about Anki/SuperMemo

#10
post #3
post #2

Outside of learning a language are there many times that wrote memorization is useful? I can't think how I would use this in a software development sense. Coding katas come close to this and a useful but I'm not sure flash cards would do the same. Maybe it would be handy to memorize a libraries API but then if I use something enough that memorization would be useful I'll learn it by way of using it.

Traffic signs musical notation geography history chemistry metallurgy physics healthcare ... This is one of those 'what have the Romans done for us' comments. Intelligence + facts = smarts. Facts are to thinking like fuel is to an engine, without facts your thinking will be either useless or wrong. So regardless of how smart you are some degree of access to facts is a requirement and if you can do this without having…

I get what you are saying. If I were studying this would be great. But it's been a long time since I have done any formal study. Most of what I learn now days is by doing. I might read a book on a topic but never have an assignment or a test to follow up. I'm attempting to find out if others in my shoes have found a use for memorization like this. If so it might be something worth me trying.
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