[taneq]

Yep, I've found I'm less effective at remembering fully detailed information but more effective at remembering 'bread crumbs' which let me quickly find the information in documentation or online. It's sort of like I store the index internally and the data table externally.

[Loughla]

This is also something I've found when hiring. If the position is time sensitive - the fires being put out tend to have a <1 day time limit, I want an older (45+) person in that position. Not for their experience, but for their ability to recall and store memories.

In my experience, older employees are able to recall information to solve a problem, but the recall may be incomplete, leading to a quicker, but less effective solution. Whereas, younger employees often need more time because they don't specifically remember solutions, but they are able to find, categorize, and process information faster, often leading to a slower, but more complete and robust solution.

Not sure if it's a product of education and upbringing in different worlds, or a product of experience, but it's fascinating to me.

[noir_lord]

I don't think that is unusual.

I also don't try hard to memorise things I know I can trivially lookup.

Other things I have a directory called `useful_things` that has markdown files broken down by category I can quickly grep for that thing I remember I needed but not how to do.

[stanrivers]

Thank you for saying this - that is what I experience (sub thirty) and I never thought of it that way...

It even comes to inbox organization. All the older team members her have folders etc to organize everything. The younger ones - we have one large inbox with everything and just search by remembering how to look for it (“oh yeah, that email had the word “altruistic” in it and it Jeff was involved)

If you think about it, that’s just how Google and constant internet connection programmed us... knowing how to find information became more valuable than knowing information.

[AgloeDreams]

> more effective at remembering 'bread crumbs'

Fun fact: this is Ken Jennings method for practicing for Jeopardy, mental models of items and triggers with surrounding facts.