Memo’d: AI Story Writing

Simple concept: A “microlearning” app designed to share expertise in bite-sized pieces. Evergreen, factual topics distilled into blocks of 3-5 minutes’ reading. Each bullet point can be shared, searched, commented on, and curated. Supposedly you'll learn something in the time it takes to order a coffee - maybe more like ordering a cab? as I find myself spending 10-15 minutes per visit. But def feeling the benefits of this 'dip in, dip out' approach to brainy topics.   

Condensed, (mostly) objective knowledge that's easy to organize however you want (highlights, saves, 'boards', etc.). Its main selling point, IMO, is accessibility. This is a developing resource where almost anybody can learn or contribute something worth learning. I've made a habit over the last week to spend 15-20 mins a day reading Memos. That is time I’d normally spend on Instagram or Twitter. I do feel like I have benefitted from that. It's like being on an information diet/nutrition plan. I particularly enjoy the multipart Memos - can get deeper into a topic. It’s also useful having parts as it means you can chunk your time i.e. read 2 parts, come back later and read the 3rd. By enabling the user to collect and store knowledge “nuggets” in one place, I can see a strong retention function for long-term knowledge growth. 

The key points of notes are making, storing and sharing. But if I can’t search them easily, it can be a barrier to learning. I want to keep my notes in one place, and search through them, but I also want to be able to access other people’s notes and cherry-pick the bits that inspire me. Memo'd is by no means perfect - but it allows me to digest quick, clear takes on topics I'm interested in and 'pin' or highlight the key points I want to return to... That alone makes it a lifesaver  ‍‌

Memo'd seems to be in its early days but there's a lot to like here. Mixture of good content with the opportunity to share your own. Options to interact are vast (once you figure them out). So far... I'm likin' it. 

One problem with social media is that the voice of a random person can take on far more significance than a Nobel prize winner - not because they have something valuable to say, but because they know how to say it. Memo'd is not rally a social app, but its approach to democratizing smart content and making it fit to a standardized format is to be commended. It's simple, it's organized, it's transparent - feels like stepping away from a crowded street into a calming library. You know what you're there to do (learn).     

I've really liked all the Memos I've read so far - and think I'll be writing my own soon. Easy to go through, very digestible and thoughtfully structured.I like the colour scheme and the design felt clear, simple and easy to use. No issues there at all. Like it. I was initially thinking this might undo the writer’s intention by having their own word condensed into snippets but what I was generally finding when reading through all those was that the stuff I was really interested in I would go and read the full article anyway and it was like a teaser and for the stuff that maybe I typically wouldn’t require a full feature on, I felt informed and took enough away from the memo as is. So felt like it performed a dual function in a way.Could definitely get on board with using something like this on a regular basis.​  

Research papers aren’t written for a lay audience; cutting to the chase is too much work. I love the idea of expertise being given an accessible (but still curated) platform that treats your attention span with respect. If you save me time, and I can take away something of value, then you've got yourself a loyal user.      ‍

There are good note-taking applications. There are good knowledge sources. But none that do both well. Memod is definitely a step in the right direction. As a heavy Twitter user, the most frustrating thing for me has always been the lack of sophistication in the bookmarks feature - and search. This is a step up from that. It makes your saves searchable and taggable. Normally social media is all about consumption. It doesn’t necessarily lead anywhere or help you organize what you want to know. It's just enteraintment. Memo'd at least makes it clear why you're there - learn quickly, organize, track what you find inspiring - so that it feels like time well spent.‍   

I tend to skim read. Not ashamed to admit it. You may have noticed that bullet points on news sites these day. The TL;DR approach is 100% where things are going - quick, easy-to-consume content - and I am here for any app that can embrace that so I dont feel like I'm wasting my time, flapping around hoping people will cut to the point. I would prefer there to be MORE content on Memo'd but I'm oretty happy with what I've got from it.      ​

I admire the idea of Memo'd. At first I thought maybe it was aimed at college students who are desperate for notes, but the sense of community for people eager to learn no matter where they are in life has been welcoming. I particularly like the capacity to cover both derived Content and ‘Original Memos’. It allows for a wide spectrum. Furthermore, the ability to save your favourite bullet points is great and seems more relevant than features on other apps. My only suggestion is a technical one: I'd like a version where one Memo scrolls into the next, without navigating back and forth. Other than that, I can see this app as a text rival to How-To videos on Youtube. It’s more versatile than mere derived book summaries, which makes it more attractive than similar offerings in the AppStore. ‌