A fictional device from the essay As We May Think, written in 1945 by Vannevar Bush, which both stores knowledge (books, notes, annotations, conversations) and connections between them allowing someone to follow trails of associated knowledge. A memex is an example of a tools for networked thought that builds on top of existing knowledge.
See also:
- Zettelkasten a similar system built around handwritten notes linked together
- Knowledge work should be accretive
Links to this note
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The Mundaneum Was a Paper Internet
In 1895, Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine built a paper internet with 18MM index cards affectionately referred to as the Mundaneum. They sought to catalog the world’s information (much like Google) but quickly ran into the physical limitations of such a thing. As more information was added, they realized the 15,000 drawers needed to hold all those index cards was never going to be enough.
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The Internet Is a Disjointed Memex
The memex device imagined a lattice of information that grows and can be built on top of incrementally. The internet and hypertext are that—nearly all the world’s information is now captured in the format of the web. However, it’s disjointed which makes it largely inaccessible.
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Hyperlinks as a Foundation for Distributed Knowledge Fails Because it Lacks Transclusion
Hyperlinks are a reliable way of connecting content together. However, they are not a solid foundation for distributed knowledge that can be added to over time. Without the properties of transclusion, it’s not possible to build on top of it.